Li Na’s ambition to be the No.1 business woman after retirement

Though Li Na retired about a month ago, she does not intend to fade out of the public eye completely and live a quiet life at home. She plans to be the No. 1 business woman in China, which is also the plan of her agent at IMG. 

Her agent at IMG revealed during this year’s WTA finals that, they have prepared a business career for Li Na after her retirement. This plan includes a tennis academy, film shooting, and a Li Na theme park that would integrate such elements like vacation, restaurants, and leisure. There would also be related merchandising. The goal is to make Li Na “the No.1 business woman in China.”

After retirement, Li Na’s sponsorship values would drop as expected, although her sponsors said they would finish the terms and some were even willing to an expansion. A similar case was Yao Ming. When Yao Ming retired in 2011, his income dropped by 60% compared to his career time in NBA. 

Li Na’s income for the past year was US$23,600,000, of which US$ 18,000,000 was from sponsorships, 76% of the total amount. With her retirement and decrease of values, IMG’s priority is to transform her influence into business values. 

According to IMG, Li Na’s autobiography would be adapted into a film and screen globally, possibly directed by famous Chinese film director Chen Kexin, and the tennis academy’s location is about to be decided as well. IMG said that this was also what Li Na wants – to enter the business world. 

Li’s shares her agent with Russian tennis athlete Maria Sharapova, who has had great commercial successes, for example, launching her own candy brand, clothing and cosmetic brands, and establishing her own foundation. IMG hopes that Li would be another commercially successful athlete like Sharapova. 

Some sources said that Li’s relation with IMG was transforming toward cooperating partners, with the two sides co-running her future business programs instead of IMG being the agent of Li Na. 

Li recently said that she would like some professionals to act as headmaster of the tennis academy. Earlier she had intended to be the headmaster herself. 

“Li’s team is going to package her as a successful business woman”, a sports marketing professional said.