Li Na elected to tennis Hall of Fame induction

Chinese tennis legend Li Na will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Li is the first Asian player to receive the tennis' ultimate honor.

She was joined by Mary Pierce and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the hall's Class of 2019, which was announced Monday at the Australian Open.

"Well, for me that's everything. So many players, maybe they win a Grand Slam, but still don't have the chance to be in the Hall of Fame. Yeah well, I saw my name on the list and I was like 'You did well'. I think it's not only for myself, but also for China and for all the Asia," Li said.

LiNa plays in the third round of the Legend Tournament of the Australian Open on Jan 22, 2019 in Melbourne. [Photo: IC]

Li retired in 2014 because of recurring knee injuries, eight months after winning that year's Australian Open and rising to a career-high number two in the WTA ranking.

Her first Grand Slam trophy came at the 2011 French Open, where she defeated four top-10 opponents along the way.

Li says she believes there will be more successful tennis players from China as the sport grows.

"Even if I was retired for five years, but I still put an eye on China's tennis in the juniors. I saw a lot of good junior players. Special..... the last year, one girl win the US Open, I think also this is good for Chinese tennis. When the people saw that they can do well, 'Maybe the next to myself'. They put.... not like pressure, give a lot of chances for the young players," Li added.

The formal induction ceremony will be held July 20 in Rhode Island.

Li was also invited to play the Australian Open Legends tournament this year.

(Story includes material sourced from AP)