Li Na says succeeding on the professional tennis tour is more important to her than the Beijing Olympics next year.
'The Olympic Games are more important for China's [tennis] federation, not for the players,' she said in Tokyo yesterday. 'For me, the grand slam is more important.' Ranked 17th in the world, Li, 24, spoke after beating American Lilia Osterloh 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
'The Olympics are in Beijing next year, so the federation is paying a lot of money for us to play on the tour. They're finding us sponsors, and good coaches for the players,' she said.
'China is paying a lot of money for women. I'm not sure if they do the same for men. If we win prize money, then they can pay us more and find more sponsors.'
The federation reportedly takes a large percentage of Chinese players' earnings.
Li's emphasis on grand slams follows strong performances at recent events. She reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the fourth round at the US Open.
