Li Na shares untold stories in documentary

Li's transition from on-court dynamo to a patient mother and an aspiring entrepreneur has been no less hectic than her playing career. She's currently working on establishing a tennis academy while overseeing the education of daughter Alisa and son Sapajou, born in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

"Perfect-only I couldn't understand a single word," Li says in the film after taking a class at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business to study investment options for her academy.

Another scene takes viewers inside a tense meeting between Li, Jiang and their International Management Group partners over site selection for the academy, which is still a work in progress.

Li insists she will never compromise on the project's mission to combine education and tennis training to the highest standards, adding: "If I have to betray my principles to run this academy, I'd rather not do it."

At 37, Li remains as stubborn as she's always been on issues she believes worthy of persistence, says her last coach, Carlos Rodriguez.

"She lives, breathes and acts like a champion in everything she does in normal life, living up to the standards of a champion," adds the Argentine, who guided Li to her highest ranking of world No 2 in early 2014.

Max Eisenbud, Li's long-time agent with IMG, says the academy will be the focus of Li's post-athletic career, despite the current setbacks.

"The academy is definitely a major priority for us and it's something I really want to make happen for her because she deserves to be perfect," says Eisenbud.