Li Na became the first Asian Australian Open singles champion in 2014.
The Chinese fourth seed defeated Dominika Cibulkova 7–6 (7–3), 6–0 in the final on 25 January. The victory was Li’s first Australian Open title and her second major championship, after winning the 2011 French Open. She had previously lost two Australian Open finals, in 2011 and 2013.
Li’s run was not entirely straightforward. In the third round, she saved a match point against Lucie Safarova before recovering to win. She then moved past Ekaterina Makarova, Flavia Pennetta and Eugenie Bouchard to reach the final.
The achievement is sometimes confused with later Asian champions at other Grand Slam events, or with Li’s compatriot Peng Shuai, who was a prominent contemporary player but did not win this singles title. Li retired in 2014 with two major singles titles and became one of tennis’s most influential figures in China.