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Anna Kournikova

Ann Sergeyevna Kournikova (Ánna Sergéyevna Kúrnikova) was born on June 7, 1981 in Moscow, Soviet Union to Alla and Sergei Kournikov. Her family later emigrated to the United States. Anna Kournikova is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Gaining renown as much for her physical beauty as her tennis game, she became one of the best known tennis players worldwide, even among those who do not follow the game.


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Anna Kournikova Biography

Anna Kournikova's major-league tennis career has been curtailed for the past several years and possibly ended because of serious back and spinal problems. While Kournikova has had some success at the singles game her specialty has been doubles, where she has at times been the world's #1 doubles player. Together with her partner Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002. With their skill and good looks, Kournikova and Hingis were called jestingly The Spice Girls of Tennis.

Tennis career

Anna Kournikova made headlines in international junior tennis when she was 13, winning several tournaments including the 1995 Italian Open. She was 14 years old when she ended 1995 as Junior European Champion Under 18 and ITF Junior World Champion Under 18. Kournikova debuted in professional tennis at age 14 in the Fed Cup for Russia, the youngest player ever to participate and win. At age 15, she reached the fourth round of the 1996 U.S. Open, only to be stopped by the then-top ranked player Steffi Graf.

Kournikova was a member of the Russian delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. When she was 16, she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 1997. 1998 was Anna Kournikova's breakthrough year, when she broke into the WTA's top 20 rankings for the first time and scored impressive victories over Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, and Steffi Graf. Kournikova's two Grand Slam doubles titles came in 1999 and 2002, both at the Australian Open in the Women's Doubles event with partner Martina Hingis, with whom she played frequently starting in 1999. Since then Anna Kournikova proved a successful doubles player on the professional circuit, winning 16 tournament doubles titles, including two Australian Opens and being a finalist in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open and at Wimbledon, and reaching #1 ranking in doubles in the Women's Tennis Association tour rankings.

Her final playing years were marred by a string of injuries, especially back injuries, which caused her ranking to erode gradually. Kournikova has not played on the WTA tour since 2003, but still plays exhibition matches for charitable causes. In late 2004, Anna Kournikova participated in three events organized by Elton John and by fellow tennis players Serena Williams and Andy Roddick. In January 2005, she played in a doubles charity event for the Indian Ocean tsunami with John McEnroe, Roddick, and Chris Evert. Anna Kournikova was also a member of the Newport Beachbreakers in the World Team Tennis (WTT) competition in July and November 2005, playing doubles only. In November 2005, Kournikova teamed up with Martina Hingis, playing against Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur in the WTT finals for charity.

Anna Kournikova stated that if she were 100% fit, she would like to come back and compete again in a feature for Elle magazine's July 2005 issue.

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