Li Na claimed her second grand
slam title when she won the 2014 Australian Open. The $2.4 million first
prize added to her considerable wealth, and the success could increase
her list of endorsement deals.
- Li Na is one of the world's richest female athletes following success in recent years
- The Australian Open champion added $2.4 million in prize money to her wealth
- Li is poised to sign more deals, says agent she shares with Maria Sharapova
- Li, who turns 32, next month, has 22 million followers on Chinese website Weibo
Maybe -- and that's according to the man who represents both players.
"She could," Max
Eisenbud, the duo's agent, told CNN after Li won her second grand slam
title. "It'll be interesting to see how that shakes up. A lot depends on
how she plays and how Maria plays. But they're both in the same
stratosphere, for sure."
Sharapova has been No. 1
in the earnings department as named by Forbes magazine every year since
2005, the season after she opened her grand slam account as a
17-year-old at Wimbledon.
Li's triumph in Melbourne
on Saturday, though, will increase her chances of landing more sponsors
in her homeland, the world's most populous country and its largest
second economy. CNN estimated China's economy to be worth $10 trillion in 2014.
Li finished at No. 3 in the 2013 Forbes list, one spot behind the dominant force in women's tennis, Serena Williams. She was No. 2 the year before.
"Maybe we can do another one or two deals," said Eisenbud. "But we can't add five more deals for her."
Li was certainly a popular women's champion at the season's first major, being the crowd favorite throughout the fortnight.
Her on-court interviews
have always evoked laughter and the soon-to-be 32-year-old especially
sparkled during Saturday's trophy presentation after downing Slovakia's
Dominika Cibulkova.
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There she thanked
Eisenbud for making her "rich" and had more words for her husband Jiang
Shan. "You are so lucky to find me!" she quipped. As of Monday, the
speech had been viewed on YouTube nearly one million times.
Her light-hearted
personality, along with the tennis success, makes for a desirable
combination for sponsors, according to Michael Stirling, founder of
Britain-based Global Sponsors.
"Sponsors will find her
progress in winning the Australian Open, together with her public
persona of being fun and honest in her interviews, refreshing and
engaging," he told CNN. "Winning the Australian Open will make many more
people globally aware of who she is as a player and this will attract
brands."
But overtaking the longer established Sharapova -- upset by Cibulkova in the fourth round in Melbourne -- might prove difficult.
"The Sharapova brand has
been in existence for many years and the essence of it was caught when
she won Wimbledon," Stirling said. "She has built her brand over many
years, and provided Sharapova continues to be a top-10 player her brand
value remains enduring and more relevant as a global brand.
"Whereas, Li's brand is a
new regional phenomena, which carries significant value in the emerging
markets of the Far East and will ripple into other regions of the
globe."
Along with a host of
established backers, Sharapova launched her own candy line, "Sugarpova,"
two years ago and pulled in $29 million in endorsements and prize money
last year, Forbes said, as the Russian once again held top position.
After Li became the
first Asian player to win a grand slam singles crown at the 2011 French
Open, her value soared. Companies including Samsung, Nike and Mercedes
Benz helped Li achieve $18.2 million in last year's list, Forbes said.
Asia's tennis superstars
What the French Open means to Li Na
Li counts a following of
roughly 22 million on Chinese social media and her popularity is set to
increase, according to Renjie Liu, a journalist with Chinese website
SINA.
"The people who have the
most social media followers in China are movie stars," he told CNN.
"They have something like 80 million. It's a big difference. But Li Na
is right behind them. She's the top of the sports industry.
"She was quite popular
already but after the win it's getting more and more. People realize
she's not only a tennis player. She's kind of a national hero. She also
represents Chinese women in a very good way so I believe her image is
getting bigger not only in China but in front of the world."
And to think Li almost didn't play at the Australian Open.
She considered retiring -- for a second time -- after an early exit at the French Open last May.
Criticism from the Chinese media in the wake of that second-round defeat to American Bethanie Mattek-Sands left her reeling.
"They gave me a very tough time when I played the French Open and it continued to Wimbledon," Li told reporters.
Li decided to continue
and, with famed coach Carlos Rodriguez by her side -- he formerly guided
seven-time grand slam winner Justine Henin -- strung together a solid
second half of 2013.
She reached the
quarterfinals or better at every tournament after Roland Garros,
highlighted by an appearance in the final of the year-end championships
in Turkey.
Tennis: Li Na upsets Sharapova
Li Na: So much comes after Grand Slam
Li was the first to
admit she got somewhat lucky in Melbourne, only fending off a match
point in the third round when Lucie Safarova missed a makeable backhand
down the line.
The unexpected exits of
Williams and two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka meant Li
didn't have to face anyone in the top 20.
But she was unfortunate
in last year's final against Azarenka, falling twice, injuring her ankle
and head. The previous year she was beaten by Kim Clijsters, taking the
former world No. 1 to three sets in her maiden grand slam final.
More than dollars and cents, Eisenbud said this title was about Li proving she wasn't a one-slam wonder.
"I don't think this win
is about the money," he said. "I think it's a big statement. A lot of
girls have won a grand slam but winning that second one puts you in a
different category.
"She's a wealthy girl and will get more deals and that will come, but this win is more about legacy.
"One of the things we're
really looking to do is to solidify her desire to have a tennis academy
in China. So that'll be a really big focus, having some sort of
partnership with a property company there
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