Not just 15,000 friends — there`s also China`s 1.3 billion population after Li`s sporting success made her a household name in the country of her birth.
It`s estimated that over 100 million Chinese watched the live TV coverage of her 2011 French Open win, reportedly the biggest TV audience for a single sports event in China.
据统计,2011年,有超过1亿中国人观看了李娜法网公开赛决赛的电视直播,刷新了中国单场体育比赛观看人数的记录。
Back at the Australian Open all eyes were on Li after decision to announce her news at the Melbourne event.
回到墨尔本澳网的球场,李娜宣布(怀孕)的消息再次引人关注。
"I look forward to spending a few more days in Australia and wish all of the players and the tournament the best of luck! I can`t wait to be back!" she added on Facebook.
她还在Facebook上写道:“我很期待在澳大利亚多逗留几日。也祝所有运动员好运!愿比赛圆满成功!我已迫不及待想要(以推广大使的身份)重回球场!”