Li winning world recognition (3)

After winning the 2011 French Open to become Asia's first Grand Slam singles champion, Li became a household name in China. She has also been rated as the world's second-richest sportswoman by Forbes magazine, behind only Sharapova.

The victory saw Li, who boasts more than 15 million followers on her micro blog, commemorated with a bronze statue in her home city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. Meanwhile, a string of lucrative endorsements prove that she is now one of China's most-recognized athletes, alongside former NBA star Yao Ming and hurdler Liu.

Her appearance in a second Melbourne final has cemented her standing as a leading Chinese sports figure: Yao has retired, Liu is hampered by injury and the rising swimming star, Sun Yang, has yet to reach his full potential.

Piers Newbery, a senior BBC tennis reporter who regularly follows Li, said her strong character distinguishes her from other Chinese athletes. "It's really interesting, because she is more individual," Newbery said in an interview with China Daily ahead of the final. "We saw China's success at the Olympics, but we didn't get to know the individuals. Probably (because) they don't speak English in interviews. Li Na is a success outside of the Olympics. She does great interviews, she makes everyone out there laugh and her press conferences are always entertaining. It will definitely help her gain more international acceptance. Ultimately, people will be interested in the personality beyond the nationality."

<b>World recognition</b>

John Pye, the Asia-Pacific sports editor of Associated Press, predicted that Li will eventually achieve even greater international recognition than Yao: "I would say that Yao remains the most renowned sports figure in China in the eyes of foreigners, but he's retired from sport's center stage. With his influence declining, I think Li will probably step up to become the new darling," he said.

Despite the pain and the tears she wept during an interview with China Central TV after the Melbourne final, Li rediscovered her confidence and is eyeing an even brighter future.

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