It is the second time Li Na was nominated for the award in Laureus, an Oscar-like ceremony after she became a candidate in 2012.
Li Na is expected to receive the lion's share of crowd support in the Australian Open final on Saturday after Victoria Azarenka was accused of stooping to gamesmanship to reach the title match.
Transforming trailblazer Li Na from a hot-headed one-Slam wonder into a cold-blooded winner of multiple major titles is the end for coach Carlos Rodriguez.
After making the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in 18 months, Li Na has become the happy, humorous Chinese ace of the courts again.
Li Na beats Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 7-5, 6-4 in their women's singles quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Tuesday, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinals after the French Open triumph.
Silencing the voices of doubt that plague Li Na's mind has been mission impossible at times for coaches and her husband Jiang Shan, but the 30-year-old appears to have found harmony on and off the court.
China's top player Li Na reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinals in one year and a half here on Sunday with a 7-6, 6-1 win over German 18th seed Julia Goerges.
Pound for pound, Chinese players might be the most lucrative athletes on the court at the Australian Open.
From the nation's first major champions at a Grand Slam event to its first berth in the singles final - Li Na in 2011 - the Australian Open has been a happy hunting ground for Chinese players.
Sixth-seeded Chinese Li Na advanced to the fourth round at the Australian Open here on Friday with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
China's Li Na and Zheng Jie qualified for the third round at the Australian Open after Wednesday's matches while Venus Williams booked a showdown with Maria Sharapova.
Li Na's Melbourne Park nemesis Kim Clijsters no longer stalks the Australian Open draw but her absence is no cause for celebration, according to the Chinese sixth seed.
Li Na returns to her favorite Grand Slam in high spirits, but not completely happy.
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