Li Na of China reacts during the press conference for her Women's Singles first round match against Kristina Mladenovic of France on day 3 of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on May 27, 2014. Li lost 1-2. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
(ECNS) -- Chinese tennis star Li Na and coach Carlos Rodriguez are parting ways after nearly two years of cooperation.
Ding Ding, Rodriguez's partner and chairman of the Beijing-based Potter's Wheel International Tennis Academy, confirmed to the Beijing Times that Rodriguez has ended his cooperation with Li and will spend more time at the academy.
Ding said coaching Li Na takes too much time from Rodriguez, and that the decision had been made after much deliberation.
Rodriguez has gone back to Belgium but will come back to Beijing next week, according to Ding.
Rodriguez has denied that he is parting with Li over her loss in the French Open and Wimbledon.
"Already, following the final in Miami, the chief of the academy told me that she needed my presence there. Without me, at Potter's Wheel, more and more players were hesitant to attend," he said.
Rodriguez said he told Li his decision after her third-round exit at Wimbledon. She cried, but eventually understood, he added.
Li's agent, Max Eisenbud, told a US newspaper that the academy had priority in the arrangement, and felt like Rodriguez could no longer be absent.
The former coach of Belgian No. 1 Justine Henin took up a position at the academy following Henin's retirement, and has been working with Li since 2012. He helped Li win this year's Australian Open, which she added to her championship at the 2011 French Open.
Eisenbud praised Rodriguez as a "good psychologist," which he said helped Li the most.
Rodriguez also expressed gratitude, saying Li Na helped him open the door to Asian tennis.
Li has now gone home to Wuhan for adjustments. It will be a tough period for her, Eisenbud said, but Li will continue to train with Rodriguez when she is in Beijing.
Li once credited Rodriguez for saving her marriage after he took over coaching duties from her husband Jiang Shan.
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