2012 London Olympics Profile: Li Na

In preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, we're profiling 20 of the top medal contenders.

The last Olympic Games were a homecoming for Li Na, who hopes to bring a medal home this time around.

Li thrilled the home crowd at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she knocked off former Grand Slam champions Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams en route to the semifinals, where she suffered a 7-6 (3), 7-5 loss to world No. 6 Dinara Safina.

Contesting her third career Olympics, the 2011 French Open champion hopes several weeks of practicing on grass will serve as ideal preparation for the Olympic tennis event.

“The Beijing [Olympics] for me is very special year because it’s the first time have Olympics in Beijing,” Li said. “But of course this year also more important for me, so I was changing my schedule after Wimbledon.  Between Wimbledon and the Olympics I practiced on the grass court, because in China we never have grass court we can play.”

Previous Olympic Singles Results

Sydney, 2000: Lost in semifinals to Dinara Safina; lost in bronze-medal match to Vera Zvonareva
Beijing, 2008: Lost in first round to Yen-Hsun Lu

Previous Olympic Doubles Results

Beijing, 2008: Lost in first round with Ting Li to Joana Cortez and Vanessa Menga

More Olympic Profiles:

—Agnieszka Radwanska
—Ana Ivanovic
—Andy Murray
—Andy Roddick
—Angelique Kerber
—Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
—John Isner
—Juan Martin del Potro
—Kei Nishikori
—Kim Clijsters
—Li Na
—Maria Sharapova
—Milos Raonic
—Novak Djokovic
—Petra Kvitova
—Roger Federer
—Serena Williams
—Tomas Berdych
—Venus Williams
—Victoria Azarenka