Li Na, the Chinese star who won her second Grand Slam title last month and will earn a world number two ranking this week, believes the best is yet to come.
The 31-year-old has top seed status at this week's Qatar Open, the $US2.4 million ($A2.7 million) event, which is her first since her Australian Open triumph two weeks ago.
"I don't think this is the best moment of my career - the year is only just beginning. I can't just say I did well in the first one," Li insisted, referring to the Melbourne success.
"It's only February, so I can't say it's the best yet. The future may be better. There are many more months in the year. I am confident I can still do well, so I want to prove what I can do."
What makes Li feel confident of continuing to do well is that her feelings after winning the Australian Open are unlike those after winning her first Grand Slam title, at the French Open in Paris nearly three years ago.
"It feels much better than my first big win," she said.
"After Melbourne I was feeling not excited like the first one (Paris). That's because I know what happens. I have been feeling much more relaxed."
Li has also analysed the benefits as well as the difficulties of reaching mature years, and thinks she can turn this knowledge to her advantage.
"When you turn 30 people say you are old. For me, I was really happy because now I am healthy and feeling stronger than before," she said.
"Age doesn't mean anything. It's a question of how you handle it, how you use it. With age you get so much more experience which you can use."
Li will begin on Wednesday against either Francesca Schiavone, the Italian who is also a former French Open champion and similarly a 30-plus aged player, or Magdalena Rybarikova, a good all-court player from Slovakia who is pushing to get inside the top 30.
