Just weeks ago, Li won her second grand slam tournament at the Australian Open in Melbourne. The popularity of the rebellious tennis player has sky-rocketed in her home country, garnering million dollar endorsement and inspiring even more young Chinese girls to pick up a tennis racquet.
So, it begs the question...who will follow in the foot steps of Li? China has one of the biggest populations in the world - will we see an influx of Chinese tennis superstars?
I looked at five young female tennis players that could very well take the baton from Li some day soon.
5. Shuai Zhang
Age: 25
Rank: 51
While Zhang may not be a youngster anymore, if there is anything we have learnt from Li it's that it's never too late to start winning major tournaments. Zhang has the power and flair to match it with the best players, does that sound familiar to anyone?
Zhang needs to learn the art and the subtleties of tennis if she is to progress higher in the rankings. She has the talent and the arsenal, but does she have the drive? That will be the question that Zhang will need to answer, hard-work will see her have good results but she could also easily fade into oblivion without the mental fortitude.
Source: Zimbio
4. Fangzhou Liu
Age: 18
Rank: 307
I put Liu at number four because her results have been consistently good for a long time, without ever being outstanding. Still only aged 18, Fangzhou could have a bright future and she is definitely on my radar.
My main concern here is the lack of tournaments played outside of Asia. Lack of passion or a lack of funds? Either way, both can cripple a tennis career. Without the proper funding and support, Liu could fade away as another wasted talent. Handled correctly by the Chinese tennis federation and we could see Liu playing in grand slam tournaments in a couple of years.
3. Ziyue Sun
Age: 17
Rank: N/A
You may be asking yourself why a seventeen year old without a ranking is on this list. Simple, she has a junior ranking of 13 and some fantastic results to compliment that number. Sun made the semi-final of the Australian Open girls tournament just weeks ago, beating the number 2 seed along the way.
Ziyue has age on her side, at only seventeen years, the world is at her door step. The solid junior results will benefit her in time with wildcards and endorsements coming her way. Let's see if she can make the transition from a good junior player into a proper professional tennis player.
Source: Zimbio
2. Saisai Zheng
Age: 19
Rank: 148
It feels like Saisai has been around forever, still she is only 19 years of age. Equipped with a heavy forehand and a good tennis brain, Zheng looks like she has all the ingredients to be a great player.
In 2011, Saisai reached a career high junior ranking of seven. She has stalled a bit in the last few years, but her game will mature with time. She has a lot of variety and this skill will take a little while longer to perfect. When all of the dots connect, we should see Saisai rocket up the WTA rankings.
1. Shilin Xu
Age: 16
Rank: 550
Shilin is my number one young Chinese player to watch because the results do not lie. Not only is Shilin one of the highest ranked 16 year olds on the junior tour, she's also one of the highest ranked 16 year olds on the pro tour.
With a junior ranking of 11, Shilin has plenty of people talking her up. A tall and powerful girl for her age, there is a lot of upside... mostly being her power. Xu has the artillery to make it to the top and I'm not standing in the way of that.
Source: Zimbio
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We could be seeing a wave of young Chinese players coming through soon; but I don't think we'll be seeing the full affects of Li's influence until about 10 years from now.
The tennis world should get ready...they're coming.
