Chinese Women Tennis Players

In 2002, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour top 100 rankings did not include a single Chinese name but, thanks to a concerted attempt to develop the sport in China, as of July 2010 there were three, all ranked in the top 50. The WTA is hopeful that the growth of women’s tennis in China could help secure the future of the game worldwide.

  1. Na Li

    • As of July 2010, Na Li’s ranking of 10th in the world made her the top Chinese female tennis player. Born in Wuhan in 1982, Li played badminton for several years before taking up tennis at the age of 9. She turned professional in 1999 and since then has enjoyed significant success, winning a number of WTA Tour tournaments. Perhaps the highlight of her career so far was reaching the semi-final of the 2010 Australian Open, beating Venus Williams en route. Li has also represented her country at the Federations Cup and at two Olympic Games.

    Jie Zheng

    • Ranked 23rd in the world, Jie Zheng has been a professional tennis player since 2003. She quickly enjoyed success, becoming the first Chinese tennis player to win more than $1 million in career prize money in 2006. In 2008, the right-handed player became the first Chinese to reach the semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament when she lost to Serena Williams at Wimbledon. She won an Olympic bronze medal in the female doubles competition in 2008, and is also a member of the Chinese team which participates in the Federation Cup.

    Shuai Peng

    • From Tian Jin in China, Shuai Peng was ranked 44th in the world, as of July 2010. Peng’s uncle introduced her to tennis at the age of 10. She played in her first tour tournament in 2000 and since then has racked up singles wins at tournaments in China, India and the United States. Peng admires Steffi Graf, and has represented China at both the Federations Cup and the Olympic Games.