Li Na, a story of believing(2)

Since then, Li was unstoppable. She finished last year as the world No.3 and started the new season by defending the Shenzhen Open title, before racking up her second Grand Slam.

"When last year I said I wanted to be top three, nobody believed me," Li said after winning the Australian Open. "At the beginning of this year when I said I wanted to win another Grand Slam, I heard laughter. The more important thing is that I believed, Carlos believed, my team believed."

"Every day he would say 'Believe in yourself, believe in yourself.' But if I was really doing something wrong, he would say 'This is wrong, you have to change'," Li said.

The victory raised her to within 11 points of Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Li in the final to win at the Melbourne Park last year, with Serena Williams remaining the world No.1.

With two Grand Slam titles to her name, a highly professional team behind her and a stronger mindset, Li is able to dream bigger.

"I want to win more Grand Slams," she said. "It's easy to say than do. But I think you are a tennis athlete, you have to know how much work has to be done to win one Grand Slam."

Li was the first Chinese to win a Grand Slam singles title, which was watched by 116 million people on TV at her home country.

The sudden fame turned Li into a megastar and then came pressure too much to bear.

Things are differnet now.

Li said: "When I won the French Open, I really didn't prepare for that. I didn't know what I should do after the win. Also nobody told me what I should do.

"I think now it's different because I prepared to win this Grand Slam. Also Carlos, he has a lot of experience because before he was coaching Justine Henin. We will talk about what we should do."

Li, the oldest women's champion in the Australian Open who turns 32 next month, usually uses the same line to respond to the age questions - "I'm not old!"

"At the start of the season everybody is talking about the age," she said. "I would like to say age is nothing. I still can win the Grand Slam...so happy about my age. I got more experience on the court."

Li is improving at an age when many players are deemed to be in decline.

She warned her rivals that she has more aces up her sleeve.

"I think I can do more," she said.