Guide Note
Anna Kournikova is a model and former women's professional tennis player. She finished her singles career without winning a grand slam championship, but because of her beauty was one of the most popular players in tennis history.
Fast Facts
- Born: June 7, 1981
- Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
- Full Name: Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova
- Height: 5'8"
- Weight: 120 lbs.
- Measurements: 32B-24-34
- Magazine Covers: FHM and Stuff
On the court: She Struggled
Kournikova came up at the age of 15 in 1996 with a great deal of promise and charisma. Her ability to move baseline-to-baseline and hit consist groundstrokes from either side enabled her to play well and be competitive. She was able to team up with Martina Hingis to win two doubles grand slam titles at the Australian Open in 1999 and 2002. But singles tournament play proved more difficult. Her best finish at a grand slam tournament was a semifinals appearance at the 1997 Wimbledon championships. Because of this, many like ESPN rate her as the most overrated athlete of the last quarter century.
Off the court: Aces
While Kournikova struggled for success and attention on the court, she enjoyed a tremendous amount of attention and success off the court. Photographers couldn't seem to get enough of Kournikova, and searches for her photos on Google during her career are among the greatest in history. She was romantically linked to Russian hockey players Pavel Bure and Sergei Federov, and later with singer Enrique Iglesias. She has frequently appeared in pictorials for men's magazines such as Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. Although she still plays in charitable tournaments, her playing days appear to be over, but she continues to make a living in a second career as a model. In 2004, she appeared in a 6-page spread in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
