Facts
Name : Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova
Known as Anna Kournikova
Birthday : June 7, 1981
Birthplace : Moscow, Russia
Occupation : Tennis Player and Model
Best known tennis player worldwide because of her beautiful body and lovely face
Records
Singles Finalist
Doubles Finalist
Mixed doubles
Screensaver
Biography
Anna Kournikova (née Anya Kournikova) was born on June 7, 1981, in Moscow, Russia, to Sergei and Alla Kournikova. Her father, a lecturer at the sports university in Moscow and a part-time tennis coach, and mother, encouraged her to take part in physical activity at an early age for the health benefits. When she turned five, Anna received a Christmas gift that would change her life.
Anna Kournikova's talent was first discovered when she played at a weekly children's sports program at the age of 5, thanks to the racket she received from her parents for Christmas.
"I found my first racquets under the Christmas tree," Anna recalls, "but I found out later that my parents sold one of their TVs to get me those racquets."
From that moment, Anna has rarely put down her racquet. She started to play and practice more often at Moscow's Soklniki Park and soon was a member of the prestigious Spartak Tennis Club, coached by the husband of Russian pro Olga Morozova, despite the fact that her family was far from wealthy.
At eight, Anna began appearing in junior clinics and quickly caught the eye of local tennis scouts. Still, she says, her childhood was "regular, average" as she spent a lot of time shopping, going to amusement parks and spending time with friends.
While still in Moscow, Anna's first tennis coach was Larissa Preobraschenskaja, from 1985 to 1989. When the ATP Tour established a major tournament in Moscow in 1990, Anna would have the opportunity to show off her skills for the international tennis community. The nine-year-old prodigy competed in the juniors and soon signed a management deal. In 1992, Anna move to Bradenton, Florida with her mother, where she would train at coach Nick Bolletierri's famed tennis academy. The tennis facilities made it easier for Anna, who had to commute from the gym to the tennis court to school while in Moscow.
Bolletieri instantly recognized her potential.
"Anna is a shotmaker," he said. "She has the ability to create situations on the court that very few people can create. And at the net she's brilliant. She hits volleys from all angles. The only person I could compare her to is John McEnroe."
Anna kournikova goes pro
By the time she was 14, she had become the youngest player to win a Fed Cup match, and made sure people took notice of her when she won the European Championships and Italian Open juniors. At the close of 1995, she was ranked No. 1 and when she turned pro in 1996, she stepped onto the scene as an ITF Junior World Champion.
Shortly after turning 15 expectations were high and Kournikova delivered. Anna burst onto the pro scene after much media fanfare by reaching the fourth round in her first Grand Slam tournament, the 1996 U.S. Open and the semifinals in her first Wimbledon appearance in 1997.
1998 was a big year for the blonde beauty: Anna became the first Russian female to be seeded at the U.S. Open since 1976, reached the Top 10 of the singles rankings, and upset Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals at the 1998 German Open, becoming the ninth-youngest player to defeat a No. 1 tennis player before turning 17 (since 1968).
The following year, Kournikova won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the 1999 Australian Open, with partner Hingis. She managed to reach the fourth round in singles at all three Grand Slams, two Grand Slam doubles finals and one Grand Slam mixed doubles final.
In 2000, Kournikova and Hingis continued to do damage on the courts, and ended the season with a career ranking of No. 8. She even defeated Lindsay Davenport and Nathalie Tauziat on the way to the fifth semifinal of that year, in San Diego. She later moved down the rankings to No. 19 and beat Sandrine Testud before losing to Venus Williams. At the 2000 German Open in May, Anna experienced the first in what would become a string of injuries.
Anna kournikova dates enrique
She continued to make appearances in high-profile tournaments, drawing in big crowds but unfortunately, not as many titles or wins. After 2003's Australian Open, she suffered a back injury that led to her withdrawal from that year's Wimbledon games. But even though Kournikova hasn't been on the tennis scene, she's still everywhere else.
In 2001, she had a bit part in the Jim Carrey comedy, Me, Myself & Irene, as a motel manager, and the following year, she starred opposite Enrique Iglesias in the pop singer's video for "Escape." FHM's "Sexiest Woman in the World" also made headlines thanks to her relationships with NHL players Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov (who she was allegedly married to), and her on-again, off-again romance with Iglesias (apparently, the two are engaged, as Anna's been sporting a fat diamond on her engagement finger since March 2004). The two are always spotted in South Beach, and even made the tabloids when they were apparently heard causing a ruckus in a hotel room.
Anna Kournikova makes millions with endorsements
Anna Kournikova has also proven her earning power by being one of the richest women in sports, thanks to lucrative contracts with companies like Adidas, Yonex, Berlei (the famous sports bra), Omega (also the choice of Cindy Crawford and Pierce Brosnan), and Lycos (who once named Anna the most popular athlete on the Internet, moving Michael Jordan to the No. 2 spot).
By 2002, she was reportedly making $10 million a year, and she continues to be the most photographed woman in sports -- even though her ranking and stats are nothing to write Russia about.
Anna kournikova in sports illustrated
Also stretching her modeling muscle, Kournikova graced the cover of Sports Illustrated's June 2000 edition, and was featured in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition in 2004.
Although she hasn't been a strong force on the courts, Anna still claims that her No. 1 dedication in life remains the sport that made her famous: tennis. Or was it Anna that made tennis famous?
The game's most respected veterans seem to agree that Anna is destined for superstardom.
"She's a gorgeous young woman who's very fit and works hard at her profession and is in the top ten in the world," says 18-time-Grand-Slam winner Chris Evert. "I think she's good for tennis."
Tennis legend Billie Jean King echoes those sentiments.
"Anna is the real thing," says King. "She's great off the ground and quick. Most of all, she loves the limelight and loves the show courts. She's having a good time out here and is poised for the big time."
Gallery
News
Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias Split Up!
June 3, 2007
"We're divorced. I am single now, but that's OK, I don't mind being alone. I'm not ready for children. I don't feel like taking on such a responsibility yet. But in the future I'd like two children." Said Enrique
Anna Kournikova kept fans guessing about her reported split from Enrique Iglesias yesterday, laughing and telling reporters: "Ah, ha, wouldn't you want to know!"
As she left a Miami beach gym after her morning workout, the 25-year-old was giving nothing away as she smiled and added: "Ask him."
Asked if comments made by her lover of five years were simply a joke, she added: "I don't know what it was."
Later Singer Enrique Igelesias has said that he was only joking when he said that his relationship with former tennis player Anna Kournikova had ended, and said "It is the first serious relationship I've had in my life."
Movies , Videos
Browse By Category:
Female Celebrity List : Actresses Female Singers Female Models Female Athletes
Male Celebrity List : Actors Male Singers Male Models Male Athletes
You can also browse by the first letter of their first name :
a - b - c - d - e - f - g - h - i - j - k- l - m - n - o - p - q - r - s - t - u - v - w - x - y - z
Wallpaper
Other Fansites