Hu Na is a former professional tennis player best known for defecting from the People's Republic of China to the United States in 1982, thereby sparking a Cold War-era diplomatic incident.
15 Facts About Hu Na
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Diplomatic relations between the two countries had been established in 1979, and the Hu Na incident was among the first major tests of those newly established relations.
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Hu Na was a young and rising tennis star from China's Sichuan province.
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Hu Na had a talent for sports from an early age, and she spent several hours practicing every day.
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Hu Na's father enrolled her in a special athletic school.
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Hu Na took a special interest in tennis, winning first at provincial-level competition, then the national-level young tennis tournament, making her China's top-ranked tennis player.
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In July 1982, while touring California for 1982 Federation Cup with the China Federation Cup team, on her second day in America, Hu Na fled her hotel room and sought refuge in the home of friends.
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Hsieh Su-wei 8.
One contemporary article stated that the Chinese, through diplomatic channels, would not have complained as much if Hu Na had been granted some type of immigration status other than "political asylum".
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Hu Na's best Grand Slam result was a third-round finish at the 1985 Wimbledon.
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Hu Na retired from professional play in 1991 after sustaining injuries.
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Hu Na resettled in Taiwan, where she worked as a tennis commentator for ESPN, and she established the Hu Na Bitan Tennis Club in Taipei, which later trained the Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei.
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Hu Na has returned to mainland China many times to promote the sport and visit her family.
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In 2011, Hu Na had a dream which she interpreted as a sign to start painting.
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Hu Na has produced over 400 paintings in six years.
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In 2017, Hu Na held the Hu Na Lotus Sutra Oil Painting Collection World Tour.