Kei Nishikori has admitted that Li Na is an inspiration for Asian tennis and hopes to match her legacy before his career is over.
China's Li became the first Grand Slam winner from the continent with victory at the 2011 French Open, and also won the 2014 Australian Open before being forced into retirement last year because of a knee injury.
Nishikori, who reached the US Open final and number five ranking in the world last year, making him the highest-ranked Asian man in tour history, is now carrying the flag and hopes to emulate Li in winning a major.
"She was big, big leadership for especially Asian tennis," the Japanese told The Associated Press after winning his first-round match against Nicolas Almagro in Melbourne on Tuesday.
"I think I'm getting close to - not really - but getting close to her. Hopefully I can come back to a Grand Slam final again."
Li, 32, returned to the Rod Laver Arena this week to announce that she was pregnant with her first child.
Joe Fish
