Allaster Sees Li As Icon In Women’s Tennis

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 25th September 2013

Allaster Sees Li As Icon In Women’s Tennis

epa03840460 Na Li of China serves to Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden during their match on the third day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 28 August 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

WTA’s chief Allaster says that despite a number of influential greats on today’s WTA that it will be China’s Li Na who will end having the greatest impact. Li won the French Open in 2011 and since then has become a cultural icon in her home country, as well as sponsor’s dream.

“The athlete that will make the greatest impact on the growth of women’s tennis in this decade,” Allaster said of Li. “You can have a strategy with multi-thronged pillars but you need the stars and Li is obviously our star here in Asia. She is obviously taking all those pillars of the business strategy and dialing them up because women’s tennis is getting noticed and she is inspiring the ones that are right behind her. ‘If Li can do it, I can do it’ – confidence breeds success.”

Almost out of nowhere, then No. 112 ranked Zhang Shuai became the fifth Chinese woman to win a WTA title at Guangzhou last weekend. There are 10 Chinese women in the WTA 300.

Allaster also spoke about Venus and Serena Williams’ influence. Some 14 years after Serena won her first major at the 1999 US Open and 16 past Venus’ breakout to the US Open final in 1997, there are seven young US African-American women players who were to at least some degree inspired by the Williams’ success: the 20- year-old Sloane Stephens, who looks like she could end the year in the top 10; the 18-year- old Madison Keys, who is the youngest player ranked in the top 45; the 17-year-old Taylor Townsend, a former junior world No 1 who reached the Wimbledon Girls’ final; another 17 year old in Victoria Duvall, who shocked 2011 champion Sam Stosur at the US Open; another fine 18-year-old in Sachia Vickery who also won a round at the US Open; the 21-year-old Asia Muhammad who won a Challenger this year; and Tornado Alicia Black, 15, who reached the US Open Girls final.

“There are 10 Americans in the top 100 and I think five or six of them are under the age of 21,” Allaster said. That is the Serena and Venus [Williams] impact of the last decade.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, French Open, Li Na, Serena Williams, Taylor Townsend, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Venus Williams, Wta, Zhang Shuai