Once rivals, now a team: Li Na, Agnieszka Radwanska reunite in Wimbledon legends' event

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Ten years ago in 2013, Li Na played the last of her three career quarterfinals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets. During this year's fortnight at the All England Club, the two former world No. 2s reunited on the same side of the net to compete in the legends' invitational.

Li, now 41, laced up her grass-court shoes this year in the legends' invitational at Wimbledon for the second time since her 2014 retirement, after first playing the event in 2018.

But a new experience was playing with Radwanska, as opposed to against her: The two had one of the most storied rivalries in the 2010s on the WTA tour; Li won six of their 11 meetings.

"I really missed this fighting competition," Li said this week. "But doubles, it's a totally different situation. Legends' doubles, it's more fun."

Of Radwanska, she added: "Normally, I was against her on the court, but now, I was playing with her. Now, we were like teamwork. I know she's an amazing player; I trust her a lot, so I can give her all the court."

2011 Roland Garros and 2014 Australian Open champion Li, the first player representing China to win a Grand Slam in singles, retired at the end of 2014; that year, she lost at Wimbledon in the third round to Barbora Strycova. For her return, Li was treated to a special upgrade to her longtime Babolat racquet.

"I've had the same racquet for, probably, 20 years," she said. "But ... this time, they changed it a special color, only for Wimbledon. When I saw the racquet, I said, 'Oh, wow, amazing.'"

A trailblazer for Chinese tennis and a maverick when she decided to remove herself from under the thumb of the communist regime, Li and her husband and coach, Jiang Shan, were a formidable team during her playing days.

Now a mother of two children, Li's comeback to the All England Club was even more special as she was able to share it with Alisa, 8, and Sapajou, 6.

While a lot has changed for Li since she last stepped on SW19's hallowed grounds as an active player, one thing's stayed the same: her razor-sharp wit and sense of humor.

"[My children], they're starting to know, 'Oh, my mom was a tennis player,'" she said. "My daughter came to me saying, 'Mom, how was your high ranking?' And I said, 'Oh, I don't know, you have to find out for yourself!'

"So she went to the internet and said, 'You were No. 2. Not bad,' and I said, 'Oh, okay, thank you!'"