Sampras: Li Na Will Have More Success

By James Waterson

Photo Credit: Tony Chang

(December 20, 2011) Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras believes Li Na will bounce back from the rough period she endured after winning the French Open.

The 29-year-old Li, who became China’s first Grand Slam singles champion, lost nine of her next 15 matches after winning her first major title. For the next six months, Li struggled to win more than two matches in a row and she lost in the first round of the US Open.

“For Li, it's a big deal to do it for her country. It takes time to settle down, to concentrate again on your game. It's crucial to figure out what you need and how to keep things simple. Li Na still plays very well in my opinion. And I am confident she will have more success soon,” Sampras said to the China Daily after he played an exhibition with Li, Carlos Moya and Sabine Lisicki in Wuhan, China.  

Sampras said he understands why Li has experienced a drop in the level of her play because he experienced something similar after he won his first Grand Slam title, the 1990 US Open, as a 19 year old. In his case, he didn’t win another major title for another three years.

“It's always a tough situation after you win your first major. It's quite different. The pressure from the media is huge. Everybody will face a valley after that," Sampras said. "I was 19 when it happened. I wasn't quite ready to deal with it at that time. But over the next couple of years I sort of figured it out. And so will Li, I believe."  

Despite her rough ending to 2011, Li still finished the year ranked within the top 10 for the first time in her career. She may have lacked confidence at the end of the year, but she will start next season in a place she has performed well in the last two years, as she reached the semifinal of the Australian Open in 2010 and the final earlier this year.