Anna Kournikova

Sport: Tennis
Years Active: 1996-2003

While she may not have had the most decorated of careers, Kournikova may very well be the most famous female athlete in history. After she won several tournaments before she turned pro in 1996, the tennis and sporting worlds began to take notice of the Russian teen and her obvious beauty. While she never did win a singles title, she did experience a modicum of success in doubles, winning the 1999 and 2002 Australian Open and 16 tournaments overall.
Her biggest successes have come off the court, though, where Kournikova has modeled for several magazines, including the 2004 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and appeared as a celebrity trainer on The Biggest Loser.

• NAME: Anna Kournikova
• OCCUPATION: Tennis Player, Model, Reality Television Star
• BIRTH DATE: June 07, 1981 (Age: 32)
• PLACE OF BIRTH: Moscow, Russia
• Full Name: Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova
• AKA: Anna Kournikova
• ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

Best Known For

Anna Kournikova is a Russian professional tennis player, well known for her beauty. At her peak, she was one of the best known players worldwide.

Synopsis

Anna Kournikova is a Russian professional tennis player. At age 15, she reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open, and at age 16 she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon. In 1999, she won two Grand Slam doubles titles with partner Martina Hingis. However, she was soon ranking quite low in tournaments. Despite her losing record, her fame grew thanks to her modeling career and personal life.

Early Life

Tennis player Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova was born on June 7, 1981, in Moscow, Russia. The daughter of Alla and Sergei Kournikov, Anna began playing competitive tennis early on. She was competing in the juniors by age 9and within two years, she was headed to the U.S. to train at Nick Bollettieri's famed Florida tennis academy. She subsequently won several international junior tennis tournaments and was declared the Junior European Champion and Junior World Champion in 1995. At age 15, Kournikova reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open, and at age 16 she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon. In 1999, she won two Grand Slam doubles titles with partner Martina Hingis. However, in 130 singles tournaments she only reached the finals four times, never winning, and spent the bulk of her career ranked out of the top thirty.

Career Highlights

Despite her losing record, Kournikova?s fame grew steadily thanks to her modeling career and publicity surrounding her personal life. This media attention often focused on romantic liaisons with such celebrities as pop star Enrique Iglesias and hockey player Sergei Fedorov. She has also attempted a career in acting, appearing briefly in 2000s Me, Myself and Irene. Kournikova has retired from the WTA tour, but continues to plays exhibition matches for charitable causes.