Chinese tennis star Li Na stressed that she and other stars such as Serena Williams are not “that old” but rather they are mo experienced on tour which contributed to their success in the sport.
“I don’t think we are old,” she said in an interview on Monday at this week’s Qatar Open. “We just a little bit, how do you say, more experienced on the tour. I think now the tennis is not only about technique. Mostly important for us is more, how do you say, mentally you have to be strong on the court. Maybe some young player have very good technique, but they are not strong enough or they didn’t have enough experience on the court.”
Li Na, at 31, won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month and is projected to move to a career high number two on Monday. Victoria Azarenka, the defending champion in Doha, withdrew due to injury and will cause 900 ranking points drop by next week.
“I mean, everyone would like to have higher ranking, right?” she said. “I was really happy. We say next week is next week. I still have to prepare for what I’m doing in Doha, so at least I have to play well in here.”
