Li Na, who has won 11 of her last 12 matches, says \this is the best she has played since winning the 2011 French Open. China’s top player said that dealing with her newfound celebrity made it very difficult for her to concentrate.
“After I win a Grand Slam, you know, I was feeling actually the same,” she told reporters. “But I think I am totally wrong because I couldn't concentration on the court anymore. I have to do so many things on the court, off the court. I was thinking, I'm still athlete or not? [I’m thinking] I'm not movie star. I'm athlete. I have to do good job on the tennis court. So I was feeling if I can't doing well, why the sponsor should come for me? They can come for another athlete. I think I was make a lot pressure for myself. I was feeling after I win a Grand Slam, against some player, face to face, they are feeling they nothing to lose. They come to court, boom, boom. Suddenly I'm losing match so easily. It's not still strong in mind.”
Li added that after she let go of four match points against Kim Clijsters earlier this year at the Australian Open, she went back to her hotel room and drank her self into a stupor.
“For me is the worst because next day is Chinese New Year,” Li said. “After I lose the match, I was like, What was going on? Everyone was so happy without me, so I was like, Okay, just take the beer and totally drunk. Next day I wake up, I was like, Okay, forget what I do yesterday. You know, in China, how you say, if you lose the day, they are feeling a whole year is not so lucky. So I said, Okay, c'mon. I have four match points. Suddenly I was lost. I was like, Okay, totally lost. I just drink all the time.”