Women's tennis diplomacy : Australia-China cultural relations and Li Na as a sports celebrity diplomat of the Australian Open

Mega sports events offer chances for hosting nations to build up their soft power by branding their countries as vibrant, confident and unique places, opening doors for strong cultural exchanges. This paper addresses key questions of cultural diplomacy in international sporting events contexts and furthers the analysis of the growing relevance of 'women's tennis diplomacy'. By examining Tennis Australia's diplomatic strategy to raise its profile in neighbouring countries with the Australian Open Asia-Pacific campaign, this study adopts the alternative perspective of non-state-based sports diplomacy. It particularly examines the diplomatic role of Li Na, the Chinese female tennis player who has become a global sports celebrity after being the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam women's singles title in 2011. It asks whether Li Na can be named as a sports celebrity diplomat of the Australian Open. By using a content analysis of significant Australian and Chinese newspapers between 2006 and 2019, this study examines Li Na's global celebrityhood's impact in the Australia-China binational connections. This analysis discusses the reasons for her success in this unofficial but relevant role for the cultural relations between Australia and China. The findings suggest that Li Na's gender image as an independent woman, her neoliberal citizenship and her remarkable engagement with Australian and Chinese tennis fans facilitate her unofficial ambassadorship on behalf of the Australian Open. As a remarkable example of women's tennis diplomacy, Li Na's cultural influence shapes the understanding between Australian and Chinese publics beyond their governments.