HD Photos: Touching moments of Li Na’s retirement ceremony (3)

China's two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na bid farewell to the sport that she played for more than a decade with a touching ceremony at the newly-concluded China Open tennis tournament in Beijing.

It was a tearful ceremony featuring hugs from Li's former competitors, cheers from Chinese fans and a bouquet of flowers from Rafael Nadal. Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic and Petra Kvitova were among the players on court to wipe away the tears, with two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, one of Li’s closest friends on tour, leading the tributes.

The 32-year-old tennis great announced her retirement last month with a letter that she penned and shared on Facebook, saying "chronic" knee injuries would keep her off the court once and for all.

The Chinese tennis trailblazer reached a career-best ranking of world No. 2 earlier this year shortly after her victory at the 2014 Australian Open. She had previously become Asia’s first and only Grand Slam singles champion at the 2011 French Open.

During her 15-year tennis career, Li won nine WTA singles titles including two Grand Slam singles titles at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open and one WTA Premier 5 singles title at the 2012 Western & Southern Open. She also finished in fourth place at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was the runner-up at the 2011 and 2013 Australian Open and 2013 WTA Tour Championships.

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