Li Na retires from Tennis
China’s Li Na has announced her retirement from tennis owing to susceptibility to chronic injuries.
The 32-year-old world number six, who has won two Grand Slam titles – the Australian Open in January and the 2011 French Open – has not played since she exited the Wimbledon in the third round in June and had a knee surgery in July.
She said: “Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family. It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be.
“After four knee surgeries and hundreds of shots injected into my knee weekly to alleviate swelling and pain, my body is begging me to stop the pounding.
“While I’ve come back from surgery in the past, this time it felt different. As hard as I tried to get back to being 100%, my body kept telling me that, at 32, I will not be able to compete at the top level ever again.”
Li has said she will now focus on helping the sport progress in her home country and the creation of her own tennis
