Time to Say Goodbye: Funny Li Exits the Stage

At the pinnacle of her career, Na Li stunned the world by announcing her retirement effect immediate on Fri, Sep 19. The Chinese trailblazer was expected to take part in the inaugural edition of her hometown premiere event in Wuhan, but an ailing body proved too much to handle. A recurring knee injury that forced her to miss the entire North American season, eventually led to Li deciding to hang up the racquet.

"I'm very proud of myself. After writing my letter and thanking so many people, I realized I've never taken even just a little time to thank myself. Now, at the age of 32, I want to thank the Li Na at the age of 15. It's because of the perseverance in my youth that I was able to achieve my goals."

It's common knowledge how much this player has done for Asian tennis. In addition to being the highest ranked Asian ever in singles (male or female) and its only Grand Slam champion (again male or female), Na Li's funny personality won over the world. She was twice named among the world's most influential people by Forbes, while her sky-rocketed popularity generated a huge tennis boom in China.

She will always be remembered for her on court fierce display, as well as for her witty, humerous speeches and interviews. While Miss Na Li will be deeply missed, she surely leaves her country's squad in good shape. Doubles specialist and Asia's first male or female No.1, Shuai Peng, just reached the semis at the US Open, while a slew of youngsters are starting to make a name for themselves. Therefore, China is quickly emerging as one of the most important tennis powerhouses.

"I believe Chinese tennis will enjoy a bright future," said Li. I don't want to compare myself with other tennis players, because everyone comes from a different background and we've all grown up in different circumstances, but I definitely believe Chinese tennis will get better in the future."

But tennis is just one chapter in this amazing woman's life. Asked about what her plans for the future are, Li said: "After retirement, I want to set up a tennis institute and engage in children's charities to help more kids. Also, after so many years of competition on the courts, I really want to make it up to my friends and family members, because on holidays and weekends we really had little time to get together with each other. And of course, I believe there will be a day that I will become a mother. We will see."

Let's relive the moments that made Na Li the hero of billions and billions of hearts! Goodbye, funny girl!

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2010: Li stunned Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams to join compatriot Jie Zheng in the semifinals. This marked the best Grand Slam performance ever by a Chinese, male or female.

BIRMINGHAM 2010: Na Li established herself as an all-court specialist, beating Maria Sharapova to win her first title on grass.

SYDNEY 2011: Na Li won her fourth WTA title defeating the greatest tennis mom, Kim Clijsters, in the final.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2011: Na Li became the first Asia to reach a Grand Slam final, saving match point against world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals. The Chinese came close, but was unable to deny super mum Kim Clijsters the completion of her Aussie Kim prophecy.

ROLAND GARROS 2011: Na Li wrote tennis history, becoming the first Asian (male or female) to win a Grand Slam. She defeated Italian reigning champ, Francesca Schiavone, in the final.

CINCINNATI 2012: Li got back to winning ways coming from behind to deny Angelique Kerber in the final.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2013: Na Li once again made it to the final in Melbourne, but a series of injuries prevented her from playing her best. She eventually succumbed to world No.1, Vika Azarenka, 4-6,6-4,6-3.

WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013: The Chinese trailblazer ended 2013 on a high, reaching the final at the WTA Championships in Istanbul where she succumbed once again to world No.1, Serena Williams.

SHENZHEN 2014: Li defended a title for the first time in her career, holding off the challenge of her compatriot Peng Shuai.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2014: After so many near-misses, Li has finally crowned herself Australian Open champion ending Dominika Cibulkova's dream run.

WIMBLEDON 2014: Li played her last professional match at Wimbledon where she lost 7-6,7-6 to Czech Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova in the third round.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Time to Say Goodbye: Battling Safina Exits the Battlefield

Long known as Marat Safin's little sister, ambitious Dinara started to make a name for herself in 2008 when she stunned a few of the world's best to claim the title in Berlin. Amongst her victims were none others than the world No.1 and undisputed queen of clay, Justine Henin—who would go on and shock the world by announcing her first retirement after that match—her soon-to-become biggest rival, American Serena Williams, Vika Azarenka, respectively Elena Dementieva, in the final. 

That week saw the birth of Dinara Safina, one of the game's biggest hitters. Nothing was the same after Berlin. It was like Dinara was a completely different player. She carried on the huge momentum into the French Open, beating her more famous compatriots, Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva, and Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach her first Grand Slam final. Nerves took their toll and the Russian ended up succumbing to the inspired Ana Ivanovic who won in straight sets.
Safina remained focus on the positives and the great performances kept pilling up, as she won titles in Los Angeles, Montreal, and Tokyo. She also won the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, losing a tough battle against Dementieva. That was probably the time she got labelled as a bit of a mental wreak, the Russian lacking the strength to conquer the really important trophies. Her quick dismissal at the hands of Serena Williams in the 2009 Australian Open final didn't do much for her reputation—especially as she won just three games on that occasion.

Safina really caught fire in the spring of 2009. After losing to Kuznetsova in the Stuttgart final, the Russian would go on a 17-match winning streak that saw her collect titles in Rome and Madrid, reach the world No.1 on April 20th, and make her second consecutive final at the French Open. With Serena Williams out of the way, Dinara looked poised to grab the elusive Slam. But for the first time in such an important final she was the big favourite and that really worked against her. Her weak mental strength surfaced once more and she ended up almost gifting the trophy to Svetlana Kuznetsova. This defeat was, I believe, the beginning of the end for Safina. 

Hindered by injuries, the Russian slowly drifted away from the top of the rankings. The remainder of 2009 was pretty miserable, the only highlights being the semifinal at Wimbledon, the final in Cincinnati, and the title in Portoroz—which would be the 12th and last trophy of her short-lived career.

Battling a recurring back injury, Dinara was just a shadow of herself throughout 2010. Early exits and extensive recovery breaks pretty much sum up the season. She came back in 2011 and tried to give it one more try, but her ailing body had the final say. After an early exit in Madrid, the Russian decided to take an indefinite break. In October that year, Marat announced that his sister would not be returning to the tour. After years of silence, Safina made the official announcement this month, She was honored at the Mutua Madrid Open, a tournament she won on its first edition.

Although her career was short-lived, Dinara Safina will always be remembered for her stellar achievements. She emerged from his brother's shadow to become the best player in the world. Although she did not win a Grand Slam in singles, she is amongst the very select few who held the No.1 spot. Thank you, Dinara for all the great lessons you'd taught us and the best of luck going forward! It's always sad to part ways, but I am sure this is not the last we've heard from this ambitious lady.

A look back at Dinara's golden career

Before establishing herself as a singles player, Dinara Safina was a veritable doubles expert. In 2007, she teamed up with Nathalie Dechy to claim her sole Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Berlin 2008 witnessed the birth of Dinara Safina. The Russian beat Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Elena Dementieva to claim the most important title of her career.

Keeping up the stunning form, Safina bruised aside her more famous compatriots, Sharapova, Dementieva, and Kuznetsova to reach her maiden Grand Slam final at the French Open. She lost to Ana Ivanovic.

She continued to pill up great results during the summer. In Los Angeles, she beat Italian Flavia Pennetta for the title.

She bagged a second consecutive title, dismissing Dominika Cibulkova in Montreal.

The winning streak came to an end in the Olympic final, her compatriot, Elena Dementieva, winning the gold medal after a dramatic battle.

The fourth and final title of what has been an amazing breakthrough season came in Tokyo where she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final.

In 2009, Dinara teamed up with brother Marat to reach the final of the Hopman Cup. They lost the championship battle to Slovaks Dominika Cibulkova and Dominik Hrbaty.

Her nerves once again prevented her from playing her best tennis in the 2009 Australian Open final. She would win just three games against her nemesis, American Serena Williams.

A week after losing to Kuznetsova in the Stuttgart final, Dinara got her revenge. She dismissed her compatriot in the Rome final to claim her first title of the season.

She carried on the winning streak to Madrid where she defeated Dane Caroline Wozniacki for the title. 

The 2009 Roland Garros was Safina's chance to slap the critics and claim the elusive Grand Slam title. Riding on a 17-match winning streak, the Russian once again fell victim to her nerves and ended up losing the final to Kuznetsova.

Dinara knew she'd hit rock bottom when she lost to a player twice her age in the first round at the 2010 French Open. Although she won the first set, she had no answer to Kimiko Date's inspired play. 

Determined to battle injury and recapture her place amongst the elite, the Russian was cruelly humiliated by Kim Clijsters who double-bagelled her in the first round of the 2011 Australian Open. A few months later, Dinara hang up her racquet.

After years of being sidelined by a nasty back injury, the Russian announced her official retirement from professional tennis. The ceremony took place at the Mutua Madrid Open, a tournament she won on its first edition.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Time to Say Goodbye: Marion Does It Her Way

Marion Bartoli has always played by her own rules. Never intimidated by the critics who slammer her as unorthodox, bizarre, or quirky, she always stood by what she believed in, never compromising, never giving in. Her work ethics, her on-court behaviour, her aggressive two-handed strokes on both sides, everything about this Frenchwoman was designed to work for her and her only. Having teamed up with her father, doctor Walter Bartoli, at an early age, Bartoli has developed a unique game that I personally have always appreciated. 

It's not easy to put in so much passion, so much discipline and hard work, and to give so much of yourself match after match, week in, week out. With her never-say-die attitude, the Frenchwoman has always fought. Injuries, opponents, the French Federation, media, everyone. However, after winning Wimbledon just a few weeks ago, she felt emptied. There was nothing left to give. No resources to fuel the fight. Playing through so many injuries took its toll and an aching Marion decided she cannot continue anymore. After losing her second round match in Cincinnati to Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, Marion shocked the world by announcing her immediate retirement from tennis. 

It may come as a surprise to many, but it's important to understand just how much effort was required to win Wimbledon. Struggling with injuries since the beginning of the year, Marion saw a chance opening up when the hot favourite crushed out in the early stages. It took all her determination and fight to be able to hold the Venus Rosewater Dish at the end of the fortnight. It was the achievement of her biggest dream, an accomplishment that completed her career. She fulfilled her goal and she can now walk away peacefully and at ease, able to proudly look back at her glorious career. 

Judging by how competitive Marion is, I was actually expecting her to carry on and, why not, to try to win more majors. She knew better though. She knew that would never be. While some questioned her decision, I am pretty convinced she gave it a lot of thought. I am sad to see her retire, but one has to appreciate all she has done for women's tennis and to wish her all the best. For me, Marion represents the best example of a warrior. A fierce and smart warrior that will do anything, work as hard as it takes, to achieve her goals. When people tell you you cannot do something, Marion would go and prove them wrong. Time and time again. Although she was not the most gifted tennis player and some made fun of her peculiarity, Marion had the last laugh by winning Wimbledon and becoming a Grand Slam champion. Congrats Marion, go live your life and always stay true to yourself. At the end of the day, that's what matters the most. Thank you for all the great memories! You will be missed!

Exit interview:

On why...

"My body just can't do it anymore. I've already been through a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year. I've been on the tour for so long, and I really pushed through and left it all during that Wimbledon. I really felt I gave all the energy I have left in my body. I made my dream a reality and it will stay with me forever, but now my body just can't cope with everything. I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play. I've been doing this for so long, and body-wise I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she knew going into the match that it would be her last...

"Well, you kind of never know before the match that it's going to be your last match, but I felt that way after the match. I felt I just couldn't do this anymore. After one set, my whole body was just in pain.

"It's been a tough decision to make. I didn't make this decision easily. I mean, I've been a tennis player for a long time, and I had the chance to make my biggest dream a reality. I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen, to be honest. But now I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she had been thinking about it for a while...

"You know, it's hard to explain, but when you dream about something for so long and you've been on tour for many, many, many years and you've been through ups and downs and highs and lows and already a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year, my body was really starting to fall apart, and I was able to keep it together, go through a lot of pain throughout Wimbledon, and still make it happen. That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me. It's fine. I have the right to do something else as well. I've been playing for a long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."

On whether she discussed it with her dad...

"I called him, yes. But my dad knows me enough to know it a bit when he saw me leaving home for the States. He kind of felt I was tired and I was exhausted, and he was not surprised by the decision.

"He said, 'I kind of felt it somehow. I can see it in your eyes and see your body and I know all the work you've done to make it happen. I'm so proud of you. I will support you in anything you're doing.'"

On where the pain is exactly...

"My Achilles is hurting me a lot, so I can't really walk normally after a match like that, especially on the hardcourts when the surface is so hard. And my shoulder and my hips and my lower back. The body of a tennis player, you've been using it for so many years, and, yeah, my body is just done."

On how she went from a really good first set to this decision...

"As a tennis player you have to be at 100%. And I'm this kind of person, when I'm doing something, I'm doing it 100%. If I have to be on the practice court preparing for the next tournament tomorrow, I won't be at 100%, because my mind is not there, my heart is not there, and I just can't lie like that.

"I'm too honest and too true to my values to be there, but kind of not really 100%. I think that would be unfair for all my team, and I don't choose to do that. I don't have those values. That's not the way I've been raised. That's not the way I am. So I prefer to stay true to myself rather than just cheating."

On what she's most proud of from her career...

"I think being the same person, being honest, being loyal to my friends, to my teams, to the people who have been helping me along the way, the people who have been working with us throughout all the years. I always respect them, and I felt I always respected everyone. I think if people ask, 'How is Marion Bartoli?' They will always respond, 'She's a nice person.' That's what I'm most proud of."

On what she will do now...

"Oh, gosh, I don't know. I haven't thought about it so much. There are so many things to do in life rather than playing tennis, so I'm sure I'll find something. I just need a bit of time to settle down. "There is some excitement as a tennis player. There is a lot of excitement as a woman. There is a lot of excitement as a wife. There is a lot of excitement as a mother. There is a lot of excitement to come up.

"I'm excited to live my future, but I will have time to think about it in the months, years to come."

A look back at Marion's golden career

US OPEN 2001: Aged 17, Marion defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the girls singles title at Flushing Meadows.

AUCKLAND 2006: Marion defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2,6-2 to capture her maiden WTA title. She would go on to two more crowns that year.

WIMBLEDON 2007: Marion stunned the tennis world by shocking hot favourite and world No.1, Justine Henin, to reach her first Grand Slam final. 

WIMBLEDON 2007: Playing the most important match of her career, Marion succumbed to experienced Venus Williams in straight sets.

STANFORD 2009: Marion got revenge on Venus Williams, defeating the American to collect her fifth career title.

INDIAN WELLS 2001: Bartoli reached one of the biggest finals of her career, but fell short to world No.1, Dane Caroline Wozniacki who prevailed in three sets.

ROLAND GARROS 2011: Marion delighted the French fans by reaching her first semifinal at the French. Her dream was eventually ended by defending champion, Italian Francesca Schiavone. 

EASTBOURNE 2011: at one of her favourite tournaments, Marion Bartoli produced a stellar grass-court performance. After quickly disposing of Samantha Stosur in the semis, the Frenchwoman overcame soon-to-be Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, to claim the title.

HOPMAN CUP 2012: Marion partnered Richard Gasquet to reach the final of the team event in Perth. They lost to Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic.

PARIS 2012: One of the most heart-breaking defeats came in front of her home crowd, in Paris, when she lost an epic final to German Angelique Kerber.

WIMBLEDON 2013: Bartoli achieved her career dream, defeating German Sabine Lisicki to win her first Grand Slam trophy. The Frenchwoman did not drop a set the entire fortnight.

CINCINNATI 2013: Just when she seemed to be on top of world, Marion stunned the world announcing her immediate retirement from tennis.

photos (top-down): GETTY IMAGES, L'Equipe, GETTY IMAGES (x7), AP, GETTY IMAGES (x5), ?, GETTY IMAGES (x3)