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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

September 28, 2015

Na Li

WUHAN, CHINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I am from Wuhan city. I like you very much. It's a great honor to meet you here. In this Wuhan Open, we have all the singles players here for one round. Currently we have those jokes saying whether we can see the young girls win the singles titles of the WTA. Also, you had a book. Currently there's a company that wants to adapt the book into a film. Who will be the female character playing you?
NA LI: For the first question, I think it would be a Chinese players because all the players will try to play their best on the court, to describe especially Chinese players. Thank you.
Also for the question of the film, I think this should be handled by professionals. This would be handled by the director. They will prepare for that.

Q. I like you a lot. Actually my daughter is older than Alisa by three months. I followed a lot of news about Alisa. I felt when I had my daughter, I changed my mindset a lot. I want to know after you had your daughter, do you feel any changes in your life? There is something saying you will not have a baby‑sitter.
NA LI: I will take care of my daughter by myself. I know the child will grow. They have different demands at different ages.
Turning back to my life, I enjoy my status now. No big changes. Still news conference. I'm here for the news conference. And other things, I will do that also.

Q. Two questions. First that you have an exhibition match with Martina Hingis. What is the feeling taking the racquet again? Hingis, she has returned to the court. She's coaching other players. Have you ever thought about being a coach or trainer for the young generation? The movie about yourself might be launched soon. Also your style, your dresses on recent occasions has been recognized by the world.
NA LI: Well, I think it's like the gossip, the entertainment news.
The first question, of course if I had opportunities, I would be a coach, but not for professional players. I hope I can train the young children, like I will start from the bottom. But now I still focus only on my daughter.
So in the future plan I am still looking. I think you're gossiping here.

Q. You mentioned opening a tennis school before. Is there any progress? Do you have any plans for Wuhan?
NA LI: Well, the progress for a tennis school is in our plan. We are still looking for a proper city because we need to negotiate with the local government.

Q. Which one is more difficult, training or take care of a child? Is the life after retirement the same as you expected?
NA LI: The answer is both are very difficult. But I think if I get used to it. I will not think it as difficult.
Previously I thought after retirement I could stay more as my own because previously I traveled with my husband, and the baby came too soon.

Q. We saw your husband is reading a book of how to be a good father. How is he behaving now?
NA LI: Well, he's good.

Q. Are there any plans for your child?
NA LI: I think we will not force her into anything.

Q. Time flies. Here we met at the retirement press conference. I want to know one question about Singapore. You went to Singapore with the baby, as pregnant.
NA LI: Actually, I didn't know I was pregnant at that time.

Q. Well, maybe you were pregnant at that time. I want to know what is your impression of Singapore at that time? Do you have any plans this year to bring your daughter to Singapore?
NA LI: Well, this year I think we will be there on the 24th, stay there for three days. I think I will not bring my daughter. She's too little. And I think I will try to see whether she has a good father because this time the time I stay will be longer than last time.
Last year I didn't even leave the hotel. Just be at the courts, do some activities, a full schedule. This year if I have time, I hope that I can look around and visit some places.

Q. Other journalists are being gossips, so I will focus on tennis. Time flies. During this whole year I think that maybe you will also look at the news of the professional tennis field. Do you think tennis has changed?
NA LI: Well, I think tennis would be different at different stages. Now the strength of players are more balanced. Every player will have their opportunities. They will have opportunities to be at their positions.
I think Serena Williams is still the strongest player. For the other players, especially the post‑'90s generation, they have more chances.

Q. Actually I love tennis because of you so I was very disappointed that you retired. I wonder, will you return to the tennis field because we know another female tennis player who returned to the tennis field and won a competition. What about you?
NA LI: Well, I won't. I made the choice of retirement. I settled my mind to leave the professional life. I think I will not return due to some reasons.

Q. Do you plan to make a speech in our school? If we invite you, will you come?
NA LI: Well, I will check my schedule.

Q. The knee injury is quite severe. Will you do any treatment? Will that influence your life?
NA LI: Yes, but previously due to pregnancy I can't do the treatment of my knees. Now I have my daughter. After Zhuhai, I plan to go to Germany to do another round of treatment.

Q. I heard that you will be on a reality show on TV. Is that true?
NA LI: No, it's not.

Q. Last year for the retirement you struggled a lot. Maybe you still have some unfulfilled memories for tennis?
NA LI: Frankly speaking, I have no regrets as a professional player. Especially in the last few years I felt that I fulfilled all my dreams and goals. Looking back on my full tennis career, I'm very satisfied. So even though it's not a smooth career, but all the dreams and goals have been achieved due to hard working, so I feel proud of myself.

Q. One year has passed. You've been to the Wuhan Open again. We love you, as well. You're here again. Are you satisfied with the arrangement of the organizing committee and what is your expectation of the future Wuhan Open?
NA LI: Well, I think it's beyond my control. I have no rights saying this. So for this time I'm here. It's more impressive this year because this is the second year of the Wuhan Open. The first time may not be that satisfying because it is the first time for a city. So for the organizing committee and for some other factors, if we look into the details, maybe it's not very perfect. But I think in the future it will be better and better.

Q. We've visited the courts here. We saw that there's not a lot of the audience being here at the courts. After your retirement, it seems tennis is not that popular. I want to ask, how can we attract more spectators to be here at the tennis courts?
NA LI: Well, I think this is where we should do more because, frankly speaking, tennis is not that popular in China. The penetration is not good. So for the fans and media, I think we can use the Wuhan Open as a platform to see the professional and top‑level matches. If we can spread the information, we'll have more spectators here at the courts.

Q. Still about the penetration and popularity of tennis. You had better and better performances in the last few years of your career. You attracted a lot of the amateur players like me to pick up the racquet and play a few matches. But we are not trained, so we do not know what to do. Do you have any suggestions for people like me?
NA LI: Prevent injury, prevent illness. I think this is both for professional and amateurs or even fans. This is very important because fitness and being healthy is the most important thing.
I want to remind you some of the amateur players do not fight too hard. It's only a hobby.

Q. I remember in 2014 you had your singles title at the Australian Open. At that time I asked you one question, and you smiled. Actually it was my first time at a Grand Slam. We took a lot of photos of you. We also showed you the pictures afterwards. We also made a T‑shirt and showed you. I'm not sure whether you still remember. A Chinese journalist asked a not very professional question at that time.
NA LI: So is that a question?

Q. Yes. I want to express that I am a fan of yours. Actually, in my computer I had more than 20,000 pictures of you.
NA LI: So no viruses?

Q. No. I didn't want to mention this, however, thank you. At that moment in the Australian Open, I was the last journalist to ask you the question in Melbourne. I expressed the feeling as your fan, but you just smiled at the time with no answer. So I want to know, do you still remember that moment.
NA LI: So I think I will leave you here with a smile, as well.

Q. What have you, if anything, missed about being a professional tennis player?
NA LI: (In English.) First I had one year I did not work but still watched some matches.
I think right now everyone has a chance to get their dream. I saw a lot in these first two days. I think they are working hard.

Q. What do you miss about your professional career?
NA LI: (In English.) Honestly, I miss the fight. This is the only thing I miss the court. Tennis with me 20 years, I cannot miss that.

Q. Were you watching the US Open?
NA LI: (In English.) I only watched the semi and the final. That's all they showed on TV.

Q. What do you think of the win for Flavia?
NA LI: (In English.) First, congratulation for her. After she win, first in my mind, she's one day older than me (smiling).

Q. Many former players are opening their own academies once they are retiring. Do you think it's important also for you to share your experience and talent to the younger generations?
NA LI: (In English.) I think this is my dream. Right now most important thing is my little girl and have my tennis academy. It's not only for professional athletes. It's be more like they can start how is the tennis, to make area they can play for fun.
I still remember when I was play, I was like I didn't have a lot of fun time. I don't want the child, they follow what we do.

Q. Do you think that's a big problem in tennis, that sometimes the pressure to be too professional too early and to treat it like a job and not to enjoy it when you're younger?
NA LI: (In English.) I have to say I'm so lucky because when I was turn professional, I'm not young anymore (smiling). So that's why.
I don't think over 32 is too young. I think is normal. Last 10 years I'm on tour, I got a lot experience, you know. I think when you are young, you cannot holding too much. Most important thing you cannot enjoy.

Q. So you played two Grand Slams.
NA LI: More than two actually.

Q. You had two titles at the Grand Slams. There were many competitions in China of tennis. So when comparing competitions in China and competitions in the foreign countries, is there any gap between them? How can we improve the tennis matches in China?
NA LI: Well, I think maybe the management team at the National Tennis Bureau would have more authority to answer your question because I'm only a retired tennis player.

Q. So as a player, if you look at those competitions, when you see the competitions, when you see the promotions of the tournaments in China, how can that blend into people's life, how can Chinese people accept the game? Is there any gap?
NA LI: Well, Chinese people don't accept tennis? I don't think so.

Q. When we see the performance of organizing the tournament, there's still a gap between competitions in China and competitions in foreign countries.
NA LI: Well, the answer is, I think the China Open has a better box office because they have 10 years of history. But for other cities in China, the first time, the second time, in the beginning years, maybe we need time to improve.
It's like for the young generation, for the children, we have a higher standard for the young children, but it's very difficult.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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