(
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
:
Анна Сергеевна Ку́рникова; born 7 June 1981) is a retired
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n professional tennis player and
modelthumb|200px|Alesya Nazarova modeling a dress by [[bebe stores|bebe]]A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed for the purpose of displaying and promoting fashion clothing or other products and for advertising or promotional purposes or who poses for works of art.Modeling...
. Her celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis players worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on the Internet search engine
GoogleGoogle Inc. is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. Google has also...
.
Although also successful in singles, reaching World No. 8 in the world in 2000, Kournikova's specialty has been doubles, where she has at times been the
World No. 1 player. With
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
as her partner, she won
Grand Slam titlesThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
in
AustraliaThe Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was contested on grass from then up to 1987. Since 1988, the tournament has been held on hard...
in
1999List of the 1999 Australian Open Champions:-Men's Singles: Yevgeny Kafelnikov def. Thomas Enqvist, 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 7–6...
and
2002List of the 2002 Australian Open champions:-Men's Singles: Thomas Johansson def. Marat Safin, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6...
. Kournikova's professional tennis career has been curtailed for the past several years, and possibly ended, by serious back and spinal problems. She currently resides in
Miami Beach, FloridaMiami Beach is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated on 26 March, 1915. It is located on a barrier island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean; the Bay separates Miami Beach from the city of Miami, Florida. The city is often referred to under the...
, and plays in occasional exhibitions and in doubles for the
St. Louis AcesThe St. Louis Aces are a professional tennis team in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. They entered the World TeamTennis League in 1994, and won the WTT Championship title two years later. The Aces play their home matches at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. The Aces have seven home...
of
World Team TennisWorld TeamTennis is a Professional Tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. The league has been opened for international teams.-First league:...
.
Early life
Anna was born in
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
,
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, on 7 June 1981. Her father, Sergei Kournikov was 20 at the time. Sergei, a former
Greco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practiced worldwide and is contested at the Olympic games. This style of wrestling forbids attacks below the waist, which results in an emphasis on more dramatic throws, since a wrestler cannot use trips to take an opponent to the ground...
champion, had earned a Ph.D and was a professor at the University of Physical Culture and Sport in Moscow. As of 2001, he was still a part-time martial arts instructor there. Her mother Alla, a sturdily built blonde who was 18 when Anna was born, had been a 400-metre runner.
Sergei said: "We were young and we liked the clean, physical life, so Anna was in a good environment for sport from the beginning." The family name is spelled in
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
without an "o", so a direct translation would be "Kurnikova", and it is sometimes written that way. But it is pronounced "Kournikova", so the family chose that as their English spelling.
Anna received her first
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
racquetA racquet is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
as a
New YearThe New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. Cultures that measure yearly calendars all have New Year celebrations...
gift in 1986 at age 5. Anna says: "I played two times a week from age five. It was a children's program. And it was just for fun; my parents didn't know I was going to play professionally, they just wanted me to do something because I had lots of energy. It was only when I started playing well at seven that I went to a professional academy. I would go to school, and then my parents would take me to the club, and I'd spend the rest of the day there just having fun with the kids." In 1986, Anna became a member of the prestigious
Spartak Tennis ClubThe Spartak Tennis Club is a tennis training ground located near Sokolniki Park in Moscow, Russia. It has 15 outdoor clay courts, which remain closed for half of the year, and only one indoor court...
, coached by Larissa Preobrazhenskaya. In 1989, at the tender age of eight, Anna began appearing in junior tournaments, and by the following year, was attracting attention from tennis scouts across the world. Anna signed a management deal at age ten and went to
Bradenton, FloridaBradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
to train at
Nick BollettieriNicholas James Bollettieri is an American tennis coach who is credited with developing many world-class champions, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, and Michelle Larcher de Brito. Recently, he has worked with 2006 U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova, Jelena Janković,...
's
celebrated tennis academyThe Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy is located in Bradenton, Florida, and was founded in 1978 by Nick Bollettieri as a full-time tennis boarding school that combines intensive tennis training with an academic curriculum....
.
1989–1997: Early years and breakthrough
Following her arrival in the United States, Anna exploded onto the tennis scene, making her the internationally recognized tennis star she is today. At the age of 14, she went on to win the European Championships and the
Italian OpenThe Internazionali BNL d'Italia is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. The men's competition is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 event on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The two...
Junior tournament. Anna also beat out the competition to win the prestigious Junior
Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl is an ITF World Junior championships event, and is widely recognized as one of the most important junior tennis championships in the world. Established in 1962, the tournament consists of Boys' and Girls' 12 and 14-year-old age divisions, and takes place during December in varying...
, becoming the youngest player ever to win the 18 and under division at that tournament. By the end of the year, Anna was crowned the
ITFThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
Junior World Champion U-18The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
and Junior European Champion U-18.
In 1994, Anna Kournikova received a wild card into
ITFThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
tournament in Moscow qualifications, but lost to the third seed
Sabine AppelmansSabine Appelmans is a former tennis player from Belgium.-Career:Appelmans started playing at the neighbour's court at the age of seven. Her first trainer, Fred Debruyn, saw immediately that she was very talented. Although right-handed, she played left-handed...
. She debuted in professional tennis at age 14 in the
Fed CupFed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
for
RussiaThe Russia Fed Cup team represents Russia in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Russian Tennis Federation. They currently compete in the World Group.-Current Team:* Svetlana Kuznetsova * Vera Zvonareva...
, the youngest player ever to participate and win. In 1995, she turned pro, and won two
ITFThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
titles, in
Midland, MichiganMidland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. Most of the city's area is incorporated from Midland Township....
and
Rockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Rockford is often referred to as "The Forest City" and is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2000 U.S...
. The same year Kournikova reached her first WTA Tour doubles final at the
Kremlin CupThe Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
. Partnering with
1995 WimbledonThis page is a list of the 1995 Wimbledon Champions. As of 2009, the 1995 Wimbledon Championship was also the last rain-free Wimbledon.-Men's singles: Pete Sampras def. Boris Becker, 6–7, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2...
girls' champion in both singles and doubles
Aleksandra OlszaAleksandra Olsza is a retired Polish tennis player. Her career highlights include winning of 1995 Wimbledon Championships in both girls' singles and doubles. At the 1996 U.S. Open Olsza defeated World No...
, she lost to
Meredith McGrathMeredith McGrath is a former professional tennis player. She was born on April 28, 1971 in Midland, Michigan, USA and made her debut on the Women's Tennis Association tour in 1988. She won three singles titles in a ten year career, at Oklahoma City and Eastbourne in 1994 and Birmingham in 1996. ...
and
Larisa NeilandLarisa Savchenko Neiland is a retired Ukrainian-born tennis player who represented Latvia. A former number-one ranked doubles player, Neiland won two women's doubles Grand Slam titles. She also won two singles titles and sixty-five doubles titles.-Career:Neiland turned professional in 1983...
with 6–0, 6–1.
At age 15, she made her
grand slamThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
debut, when she reached the fourth round of the 1996
U.S. OpenThe US Open, formally the United States Open tennis championships, is a tennis tournament which is the modern incarnation of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, with the U.S. National Championship, which for mens' singles was first contested in 1881...
, only to be stopped by then-top ranked player,
Steffi GrafStefanie Maria Graf is a former World No. 1 female tennis player from Germany.Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
,
eventual championSteffi Graf defeated Monica Seles 7-5 6-4 in the final to win the Women's Singles title at the 1996 U.S. Open.-Seeds:The seeded players are listed below. Steffi Graf is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.-Key:...
. After this tournament, her ranking jumped from No. 144 to debut in Top 100 at No. 69. Kournikova was a member of the Russian delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
. In 1996, she was named
WTA Newcomer of the YearThis is a list with all the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Awards given by the WTA Tour to players who have done or achieved something remarkable during the season or their career...
, and she was ranked No. 57 in the end of the season.
Kournikova entered the
1997 Australian OpenMonica Seles was the defending champion but did not compete that year.Martina Hingis won in the final 6–2, 6–2 against Mary Pierce. She became the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title.-Seeds:...
as World No. 67. However, she lost in the first round to World No. 12
Amanda CoetzerAmanda Coetzer is the most accomplished female professional tennis player from South Africa.Coetzer turned professional in 1988 and retired in 2004...
6–2, 6–2. She also partnered with Russian fellow
Elena LikhovtsevaElena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva Elena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva Elena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva ( Елена Лиховцева (jelena lixɔvtseva; born 8 September 1975 in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan) is a Russian tennis player, She turned professional in January 1992 at the age of 16....
at women's doubles event, but also lost in the first round, to eight seeds
Chanda RubinChanda Rubin is a professional tennis player from the United States.Throughout her long career, she has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world even though she has been plagued by injuries...
and
Brenda Schultz-McCarthyBrenda Anne Marie Schultz-McCarthy is a Dutch tennis player. She is married to Sean McCarthy, a former American football player at University of Cincinnati. Schultz is known for her fast serve, holding the record for the fastest serve in qualifying rounds in the WTA tour...
6–2, 6–3. Kournikova reached the second round at the
Pacific Life OpenThe BNP Paribas Open is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California.The tournament is a Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and is a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour. The event, held in March, is one of two tour events in which main draw play extends...
; after beating
Patricia Hy-BoulaisPatricia Hy-Boulais is a former tennis player. Representing Hong Kong early in her career, Hy-Boulais became a citizen of Canada in 1991...
in the first round 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, she lost to World No. 3
Anke HuberAnke Huber is a German retired professional tennis player. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1996 Australian Open. Her career-high singles ranking was fourth, also in 1996.-Early life:...
in the second round 3–6, 6–2, 6–2. In doubles, Kournikova and Likhovtseva beat the second seeds
Larisa NeilandLarisa Savchenko Neiland is a retired Ukrainian-born tennis player who represented Latvia. A former number-one ranked doubles player, Neiland won two women's doubles Grand Slam titles. She also won two singles titles and sixty-five doubles titles.-Career:Neiland turned professional in 1983...
and
Helena SukováHelena Suková is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. During her career, she won 14 Grand Slam titles, 9 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles...
in the second 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, before losing to
Mary Joe FernándezMary Joe Fernandez Godsick is a former professional tennis player from the United States and is of Spanish and Cuban descent...
and Chanda Rubin in the quartefinals 2–6, 6–4, 7–5/ At
Miami OpenThe Sony Ericsson Open is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Florida. The event is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour. The tournament is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
Kournikova defeated No. 12 Amanda Coetzer 6–1, 3–6, 6–3 in the second round, and No. 29
Katarina StudenikovaKatarina Studenikova is a professional Slovak tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 31st, which she reached on December 23, 1996. Her career high in doubles was at 62 set at November 13, 1995....
1–6, 6–4, 6–0 in the third, and then lost to No. 3
Jana NovotnáJana Novotná is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She played a serve and volley game, an increasingly rare style of play among women during her career...
6–3, 6–4 in the fourth. She and Likhovtseva were beaten 6–4, 6–3 by
Dominique MonamiDominique Monami is a former Belgian professional female tennis player.In 1995 she married her coach Bart Van Roost and played under the name Van Roost or Van Roost-Monami, until their divorce....
and
Barbara RittnerBarbara Rittner is a former professional tennis player who comes from Germany. Her career high ranking was No. 24 in the world, a ranking she achieved on February 1, 1993. She currently is the captain of the German Fed Cup team....
in the first round of Miami doubles. After beating Shi-Ting Wang in the first round of
Italian OpenThe Internazionali BNL d'Italia is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. The men's competition is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 event on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The two...
with 6–3, 6–4, Kournikova lost to Amanda Coetzer 6–2, 4–6, 6–1 in the second. However, she reached the semifinals partnering with Likhovtseva, after they defeated the first seeds Neiland and Suková 6(4)–7, 6–2, 7–5 in the second round, and
Barbara SchettBarbara Schett Eagle is a former Austrian tennis player, who reached her highest singles ranking — World No. 7 — on 13 September 1999. She ended her career at the 2005 Australian Open. Between 1993 to 2004 she played in 48 games for the Austria Fed Cup team, winning 30...
and
Patty SchnyderPatty Schnyder is a Swiss professional tennis player. She has been playing on the WTA tour since 1993 and is a former World No. 7. She has defeated several World No...
7–6(2), 6–4 in the third, before losing to the sixth seeds Mary Joe Fernández and
Patricia TarabiniPatricia Tarabini was an Argentine tennis player. Tarabini represented her country and won the Bronze Olympic medal at the 2004 Athens games, with Paola Suárez, where they lost 7–9 in the third set to eventual gold medalists from China, Sun Tiantian and Li Ting. On May 9, 1988, Tarabini reached...
7–6(5), 6–3.
Kournikova was then defeated in the quarterfinals of German Open by Mary Joe Fernández 6–1, 6–4, after she defeated former
World No. 1 and current World No. 5
Arantxa Sánchez VicarioAránzazu Arantxa Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...
3–6, 6–0, 6–3 in the third round. Partnering with Likhovtseva, she also reached the doubles quarterfinals, beating the sixth seeds
Alexandra FusaiAlexandra Fusai is a former professional tennis player from France.Fusai turned professional in 1991. She was 1.76m tall and weighed about 60 kg in 1997. She played right-handed and lived in Nantes during her career. She retired from the WTA Tour tennis circuit in April 2003 when she discovered...
and
Nathalie TauziatNathalie Tauziat is a former professional tennis player from France. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships. Her career-high singles ranking was third in 2000....
6–4, 7–6(2) in the second round and losing to the first seeds
Gigi FernándezBeatriz "Gigi" Fernández is a former professional Puerto Rican tennis player, the first female Puerto Rican athlete to turn professional and the first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal...
and
Natasha ZverevaNatalya "Natasha" Zvereva is a retired tennis player from Belarus. Zvereva was the first major athlete in the Soviet Union to demand publicly that she'd be able to keep her tournament earnings...
6–2, 7–5. At the
1997 French OpenIva Majoli defeated Martina Hingis 6-4 6-2 in the final to win the Women's Singles title at the 1997 French Open.See also:-Seeds:The seeded players are listed below. Iva Majoli is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.-Key:...
Kournikova defeated
Radka ZrubákováRadomira "Radka" Zrubáková is a retired professional tennis player from Slovakia. Zrubáková gained professional status in 1986. She won three single and two double titles during her career on the WTA Tour. She was a member of the Czechoslovakia Federation Cup team that won the 1988 Federation...
6–3, 6–2 in the first round and
Sandra CecchiniAnna-Maria Cecchini is a former Italian professional tennis player.Cecchini was known as Sandra on the WTA tour, she played from 1981 to 1998 and won 11 singles titles. Her best Grand Slam performance came in her first appearance at Roland Garros in 1984, when she reached the quarter finals...
6–2, 6–2 in the second and then lost to World No. 1
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
6–1, 6–3 in the third. She also reached the third round in doubles with Likhovtseva, losing to domestic team and the eight seeds Fusai and Tauziat. At
1997 Wimbledon ChampionshipsTop seed and world number 1 Martina Hingis defeated Jana Novotná 2-6 6-3 6-3 in the final to win the Ladies' Singles title at the 1997 Wimbledon Championships.See also:-Seeds:...
Anna Kournikova became the only second woman in the
open eraOpen era may refer to:* The Open Era of Tennis* The Glasnost era of the Soviet Union* The Open Era of Galveston, Texas, also known as the Free State era...
to reach the semifinals, which was also her first WTA Tour semifinals, in her
WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877...
debut, the first being
Chris EvertChristine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. According to the Women's Tennis...
in
1972List of the 1972 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Stan Smith def. Ilie Năstase, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5*It was Smith's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def...
. She defeated Chanda Rubin 6–1, 6–1 in the first round, Barbara Rittner 4–6, 7–6(7), 6–3 in the second, the seventh seed Anke Huber 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 in the third, Helena Suková 2–6, 6–2, 6–3 in the fourth, No. 4 and the French Open champion
Iva MajoliIva Majoli Marić is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. She upset Martina Hingis to win the women's singles title at the French Open in 1997. Majoli also won eight singles titles and one women's doubles title during her career.-Career:Majoli turned professional in 1991 at the age...
7–6(1), 6–4 in the quarterfinals and then lost to eventual champion Martina Hingis by a score of 6–3, 6–2.
Kournikova then lost to Anke Huber 6–0, 6–1 in the first round of the Los Angeles Open, also reaching the doubles semifinals with
Ai Sugiyamais a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She is a former world No. 1 in women's doubles, and was considered to be one of the best doubles player in the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was world No. 8 achieved on February 9, 2004. She turned professional in 1992...
. At the
1997 US OpenMartina Hingis defeated Venus Williams 6-0 6-4 in the final to win the Women's Singles title at the 1997 U.S. Open.See also:-Seeds:The seeded players are listed below. Martina Hingis is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated....
she lost in the second round to the eleventh seed
Irina SpîrleaIrina Spîrlea is a former tennis player from Romania, who turned professional in 1990. She won four singles and six doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on October 13, 1997, when she became number 7 in the world...
6–1, 3–6, 6–3. Partnering with Likhovtseva, she reached the third round of women's doubles event, losing 6–4, 6–4 to the second seeds Hingis and Sánchez Vicario. Kournikova played her last WTA Tour event in 1997 at
Porsche Tennis Grand PrixThe Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a tennis tournament held in Stuttgart, Germany . Held since 1978, the tournament is a part of the WTA Tour schedule and is a Tier II tournament. The singles champion also receives a Porsche sports car in addition to prize money.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:*...
in
FilderstadtFilderstadt is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located approximately 13 km south of Stuttgart.Filderstadt is located next to the Stuttgart Airport and the new land fair....
, losing to Amanda Coetzer 3–6 6–3 6–4 in the second round of singles, and 6–2, 6–4 in the first round of doubles to
Lindsay DavenportLindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
and Jana Novotná with Likhovtseva. She broke into the top 50 on 19 May, and was ranked No. 32 in singles and No. 41 in doubles at the end of the season.
1998–2000: Success and stardom
In 1998 Kournikova broke into the
WTA'sThe Women's Tennis Association, formed in 1973, is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis. It organizes the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women, which has for sponsorship reasons been known since 2005 as The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour...
top 20 rankings for the first time, when she was ranked No. 16. She also scored impressive victories over
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
,
Lindsay DavenportLindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
,
Steffi GrafStefanie Maria Graf is a former World No. 1 female tennis player from Germany.Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
and
Monica SelesMonica Seles is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents and became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994...
. Kournikova began her
1998 seasonThe WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III and Tier IV events...
in Hannover, where she lost to the first seed Jana Novotná in the semifinals with 6–3, 6–3. She also partnered Larisa Neiland in doubles, and lost to Elena Likhovtseva and
Caroline VisCaroline Vis is a retired professional tennis player from the Netherlands. Vis turned pro in 1989. A doubles specialist, Vis won nine titles during her career on the WTA Tour. She reached the mixed doubles final at the 1991 French Open, playing with countryman Paul Haarhuis. Her career-high...
in the quarterfinals 3–6, 6–2, 7–5. She then reached the second round of both singles and doubles at the
Medibank InternationalThe Medibank International Sydney is a professional tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, played annually at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre in Homebush...
in
SidneySidney may refer to:-United States:* Sidney, Arkansas* Sidney, Illinois* Sidney, Indiana* Sidney, Iowa* Sidney, Kentucky* Sidney, Maine* Sidney, Montana* Sidney, Nebraska* Sidney , New York** Sidney , New York* Sidney, Ohio...
, losing to Lindsay Davenport in the second round of singles with 6–2, 6(4)–7, 6–3. At the
1998 Australian OpenMartina Hingis defeated Conchita Martínez 6-3 6-3 in the final to win the Women's Singles title at the 1998 Australian Open tennis tournament.See also:-Seeds:...
Kournikova lost in the third round to World No. 1 player Martina Hingis 6–4, 4–6, 6–4. She also partnered with Larisa Neiland in women's doubles, and they lost to eventual champions Hingis and
Mirjana LučićMirjana Lučić is a professional tennis player from Croatia. She enjoyed a brief but promising career on the WTA Tour in the late 1990s, during which she set a few "youngest-ever" records and won one Grand Slam women's doubles title at the Australian Open in 1998 when she was only 15 years old,...
7–5, 6–2 in the second round. Although she lost in the second round of Paris Open to Anke Huber in singles, Kournikova reached the her second doubles WTA Tour final partnering with Larisa Neiland. They lost to
Sabine AppelmansSabine Appelmans is a former tennis player from Belgium.-Career:Appelmans started playing at the neighbour's court at the age of seven. Her first trainer, Fred Debruyn, saw immediately that she was very talented. Although right-handed, she played left-handed...
and
Miriam Oremans Miriam Oremans is a former professional female tennis player from the Netherlands. On 26 July 1993 she reached her career-high singles ranking of number 25....
1–6, 6–3, 7–6(3). Kournikova and Neiland reached their second consecutive final at
Linz OpenThe Generali Ladies Linz is a tennis tournament held in Linz, Austria. Held since 1987, this WTA Tour event is a Tier II-tournament and is played on indoor hardcourts...
, losing to Alexandra Fusai and Nathalie Tauziat 6–3, 3–6, 6–4. In singles, Kournikova reached the third round. At the Pacific Life Open, she reached the third round and lost to
1994 Wimbledon championConchita Martinez defeated Martina Navratilova 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the final to win the Ladies' Singles title at the 1994 Wimbledon Championships.See also:-Seeds:...
Conchita MartínezInmaculada Concepción Martínez Bernat is a former professional tennis player from Monzón, Aragón, Spain. She is the only Spanish woman to have won the singles title at Wimbledon, when she beat Martina Navrátilová in the 1994 Women's Singles...
6–3, 6–4, and also reached the doubles quarterfinals with Neiland. Although she reached the doubles quarterfinals with Neiland, Kournikova made a greater success in singles at the Miami Open, reaching her first WTA Tour singles final. After beating Mirjana Lučić 6–4, 6–2 in the first round, former World No. 1
Monica SelesMonica Seles is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents and became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994...
7–5, 6–4 in the second, Conchita Martínez 6–3, 6–0 in the third, Lindsay Davenport 6–4, 2–6, 6–2 in the quarterfinals, and former No. 1 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 3–6, 6–1, 6–3 in the semifinals, and then lost to
Venus WilliamsVenus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate occasions; as of October 19, 2009, she is ranked World No. 4...
in the final with 2–6, 6–4, 6–1.
Kournikova then reached two consecutive quarterfinals, at
Amelia IslandAmelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated south of Cumberland Island,...
and Italian Open, losing, respectively, 7–5, 6–3 to Lindsay Davenport, and 6–2, 6–4 to Martina Hingis. At the German Open, she reached the semifinals in both singles and doubles, with Larisa Neiland, losing 6–0, 6–1 to Conchita Martínez and 6–1, 6–4 to Alexandra Fusai and Nathalie Tauziat, respectively. At the
1998 French OpenArantxa Sánchez Vicario defeated Monica Seles 7-6 0-6 6-2 in the final to win the Women's Singles title at the 1998 French Open.See also:-Seeds:...
Kournikova reached her best result at this tournament, losing to Jana Novotná 6(2)–7, 6–3, 6–3 in the fourth round. She also reached her first grand slam doubles semifinals, losing with Neiland to Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva 6–3, 6–2. During her quarterfinals match at the Eastbourne Open versus
Steffi GrafStefanie Maria Graf is a former World No. 1 female tennis player from Germany.Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
, Kournikova injured her thumb, which would eventually force her to withdraw from the
1998 Wimbledon ChampionshipsList of the 1998 Wimbledon Champions:-Gentlemen's Singles: Pete Sampras def. Goran Ivanišević, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2...
. However, she won that match 6(4)–7, 6–3, 6–4, but then withdraw from her semifinals match against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Kournikova returned for the
Du Maurier OpenRogers Cup may refer to:*Rogers Cup *Rogers Cup...
, defeating Alexandra Fusai and
Ruxandra DragomirRuxandra Dragomir Ilie is a female tennis player from Romania, who won four singles and five doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on August 25, 1997, when she became the number 15 of the world.-Singles:-Doubles:...
before losing to Conchita Martínez in the third round 6–0, 6–3. At the
Pilot Pen TennisThe Pilot Pen Tennis is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
in New Haven she lost to Amanda Coetzer 1–6, 6–4, 7–5 in the second round. At the
1998 US OpenLindsay Davenport defeated Martina Hingis 6-3 7-5 in the final to win the Women's Singles title at the 1998 U.S. Open.See also:-Seeds:The seeded players are listed below. Lindsay Davenport is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.-Key:* Q = Qualifier* WC = Wild Card* LL...
Kournikova reached the fourth round and lost to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. She then made a series of low results at
Toyota Princess CupThe Toyota Princess Cup was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament held annually from 1997-2002. It was played in Tokyo, Japan and was categorized as a Tier II event....
, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix,
Zürich OpenThe Zurich Open was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, formerly held every winter in Zurich, Switzerland. It was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament from 1993 until 2007. In its final year, 2008, it was downgraded to a Tier II event.The Open was held at...
and
Kremlin CupThe Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
, but due to good results during the year, she qualified for the
1998 WTA Tour ChampionshipsThe 1998 WTA Tour Championships were held in New York, United States between November 16 and November 22.-Seeds:Note* American Venus Williams had qualified but pulled out due to left knee tendinitis.-First Round :-Quarterfinal:-Semifinal:...
. She lost to Monica Seles in the first round 6–4, 6–3. However, with Seles, she won her first doubles title, in Tokyo, beating Mary Joe Fernández and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6–4, 6–4 in the final. At the end of the season, she was ranked No. 10 in doubles.
At the end of the 1999 season, Anna Kournikova was ranked No. 12 in singles and World No. 1 in doubles. Also at times during 1999, she was the most searched athlete in the world on
Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American public corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, , that provides Internet services worldwide...
, the premier search engine of the day.
On January 31, Anna Kournikova and
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
won a
grand slamThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
title in women's doubles. They defeated
Lindsay DavenportLindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
and
Natasha ZverevaNatalya "Natasha" Zvereva is a retired tennis player from Belarus. Zvereva was the first major athlete in the Soviet Union to demand publicly that she'd be able to keep her tournament earnings...
at the finals of the
Australian OpenList of the 1999 Australian Open Champions:-Men's Singles: Yevgeny Kafelnikov def. Thomas Enqvist, 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 7–6...
.
Kournikova played the finals at Hilton Head, where she lost to Hingis. She also played the semifinals in
Oklahoma CityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
(lost to
Amanda CoetzerAmanda Coetzer is the most accomplished female professional tennis player from South Africa.Coetzer turned professional in 1988 and retired in 2004...
),
Amelia IslandAmelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated south of Cumberland Island,...
(lost to
Ruxandra DragomirRuxandra Dragomir Ilie is a female tennis player from Romania, who won four singles and five doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on August 25, 1997, when she became the number 15 of the world.-Singles:-Doubles:...
) and
EastbourneEastbourne is a large town and borough of East Sussex, on the south coast of England, with an estimated population of 106,652 as of 2009. The area has seen human activity since the stone age and it remained one of small settlements until the 19th century when its four hamlets gradually merged to...
(lost to
Nathalie TauziatNathalie Tauziat is a former professional tennis player from France. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships. Her career-high singles ranking was third in 2000....
).
She was more successful in doubles. Partnering Martina Hingis, she won the titles in
Indian WellsThe BNP Paribas Open is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California.The tournament is a Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and is a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour. The event, held in March, is one of two tour events in which main draw play extends...
, the
RomeThe Internazionali BNL d'Italia is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. The men's competition is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 event on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The two...
, Eastbourne and the WTA Championships, and played the finals of the
French OpenList of the 1999 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Andre Agassi def. Andriy Medvedev, 1–6, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4...
and Stanford (partnering with
Elena LikhovtsevaElena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva Elena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva Elena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva ( Елена Лиховцева (jelena lixɔvtseva; born 8 September 1975 in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan) is a Russian tennis player, She turned professional in January 1992 at the age of 16....
). At the end of the year, Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis were presented with the
WTA Award for Doubles Team of the YearThis is a list with all the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Awards given by the WTA Tour to players who have done or achieved something remarkable during the season or their career...
. She lost in the final of the mixed doubles at
WimbledonList of the 1999 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's Singles: Pete Sampras def. Andre Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5*It was Sampras' 2nd title of the year, and his 58th overall. It was his 12th career Grand Slam title, and his 6th at Wimbledon.-Women's Singles:...
, partnering
Jonas BjörkmanJonas Lars Björkman is a former World No. 4 Swedish professional tennis player. He is also a former World No. 1 in doubles...
.
In 2000, Anna Kournikova broke into the top 10, reaching No. 8 in singles. She was also ranked #4 in doubles at the end of the season.
In singles she reached the finals of the
Kremlin CupThe Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
, where she lost to
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
. She also reached eight semifinals and seven quarter finals. She was again more successful in doubles. She played the finals of the mixed doubles at the US Open, partnering with
Max MirnyiMax Mirnyi is a professional tennis player from Belarus. Today he is a doubles specialist but he also enjoyed a good singles career, finishing in the top 50 in the world for 7 straight years as well as representing Belarus in Davis Cup competition since April 1994, where he holds a record of 47...
.
With
Julie Halard-DecugisJulie Halard-Decugis is a former professional female tennis player from Versailles, France.Halard-Decugis lived in La Baule, France during the initial stages of her career and later moved to Pully, Switzerland...
, she won the tournament in
Gold Coast, AustraliaThe Gold Coast is a city in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is also the most populous non-capital city in the country...
. Partnering with
Barbara SchettBarbara Schett Eagle is a former Austrian tennis player, who reached her highest singles ranking — World No. 7 — on 13 September 1999. She ended her career at the 2005 Australian Open. Between 1993 to 2004 she played in 48 games for the Austria Fed Cup team, winning 30...
, she reached the semifinals of the
Australian OpenList of the 2000 Australian Open champions:-Day 1 :* Seeds out:**Men's Singles: Thomas Enqvist , Karol Kučera **Women's Singles: Anke Huber -Day 2 :* Seeds out:...
. With
Natasha ZverevaNatalya "Natasha" Zvereva is a retired tennis player from Belarus. Zvereva was the first major athlete in the Soviet Union to demand publicly that she'd be able to keep her tournament earnings...
, she lost in the finals at
Indian WellsThe BNP Paribas Open is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California.The tournament is a Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and is a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour. The event, held in March, is one of two tour events in which main draw play extends...
. They also won at
HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
. She lost in the finals at San Diego, partnering with
Lindsay DavenportLindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
. With Martina Hingis, she won at
ZürichZürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne...
, the
Kremlin CupThe Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
, and at Philadelphia and the WTA Championships.
2001–2003: Injuries and final years
This season was dominated by injury, including a left foot stress fracture which forced her withdrawal from twelve tournaments, including the
French OpenThe 2001 French Open was the second Grand Slam event of 2001 and the 100th edition of the French Open. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from late May through early June, 2001.-Men's Singles:...
and
WimbledonList of the 2001 Wimbledon champions:-Men's Singles: Goran Ivanišević def. Pat Rafter, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7...
. She underwent surgery in
AprilApril 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December-----Events:*April 1**An EP-3E United States Navy spyplane collides with a Chinese People's Liberation Army fighter jet...
. She reached her second career
grand slamThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
quarter finals, at the
Australian OpenList of the 2001 Australian Open champions:-Men's Singles: Andre Agassi def. Arnaud Clément, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2*It was Agassi's 1st title of the year, and his 46th overall. It was his 7th career Grand Slam title, and his 3rd Australian Open title....
. Kournikova then withdrew from several events due to continuing problems with her left foot and did not return until
LeipzigLeipzig is, with a population of 515,459, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany.-Origins:Leipzig's name is derived from the Slavic word Lipsk, which means "settlement where the lime trees stand"....
.
With
Barbara SchettBarbara Schett Eagle is a former Austrian tennis player, who reached her highest singles ranking — World No. 7 — on 13 September 1999. She ended her career at the 2005 Australian Open. Between 1993 to 2004 she played in 48 games for the Austria Fed Cup team, winning 30...
, she won the doubles title in
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
. She then lost in the finals in Tokyo, partnering with
Iroda TulyaganovaIroda Tulyaganova is a professional tennis player who comes from Uzbekistan.She has been ranked as high as #16 on the WTA Tour and has won three WTA singles titles in her career...
, and at San Diego, partnering with
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
. Hingis and Kournikova also won the
Kremlin CupThe Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
.
At the end of the 2001 season, she was ranked #74 in singles and #26 in doubles.
In this season, Anna Kournikova was quite successful. She reached the semifinals of
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
, Tokyo,
AcapulcoAcapulco is a city, and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay. It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States...
and San Diego, and the finals of
ShanghaiShanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level...
. She lost to
Anna SmashnovaAnna Smashnova is a former professional tennis player from Israel. She retired from professional tennis after Wimbledon 2007....
. This was Kournikova's last singles finals and the last chance to win a single title.
With
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
, Anna Kournikova lost in the finals of
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
, but they won their second
grand slamThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
title together,
Australian OpenList of the 2002 Australian Open champions:-Men's Singles: Thomas Johansson def. Marat Safin, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6...
in women's doubles. They also lost in the quarterfinals of U.S. Open. With
Chanda RubinChanda Rubin is a professional tennis player from the United States.Throughout her long career, she has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world even though she has been plagued by injuries...
, Anna Kournikova played the semifinals of
WimbledonList of the 2002 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's singles: Lleyton Hewitt def. David Nalbandian, 6–1, 6–3, 6–2*It was Hewitt's 4th title of the year, and his 16th overall. It was his 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Serena Williams def...
, but they lost to
SerenaSerena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and current World No. 1. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on four separate occasions...
and
Venus WilliamsVenus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate occasions; as of October 19, 2009, she is ranked World No. 4...
. Partnering
Janet LeeJanet Lee was a Taiwanese-American professional tennis player. She won three doubles titles during her career on the WTA Tour. She competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments in both singles and doubles...
, she won the Shangai title.
At the end of 2002 season, she was ranked #35 in singles and #11 in doubles.
In 2003, Anna Kournikova collected her first
grand slamThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
match victory in two years at the
Australian OpenThe 2003 Australian Open was a tennis tournament held in 2003. It was the first Grand Slam event of the 2003 ATP Tour and the 2003 WTA Tour. It was the 91st edition of the event.-Men's Singles: Andre Agassi def...
. She defeated
Henrieta NagyováHenrieta Nagyová is a Slovak female professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1994 and has been ranked as high as the 21st in the world . In recent years her ranking has fallen due to constant injury...
in the 1st round, and then lost to
Justine Henin-HardenneJustine Henin , formerly known as Justine Henin-Hardenne 2002–2007, is a professional Belgian tennis player. On 14 May 2008, Henin announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis. She was 25 years old and ranked World No. 1 at the time of her retirement...
in the 2nd round. She withdrew from Tokyo due to a sprained back suffered at Australian Open and did not return to Tour until Miami. Kournikova retired in the 1st round of the
CharlestonThe Family Circle Cup is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1973. The tournament is currently played on the green clay courts at the Daniel Island Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina, USA...
due to a left adductor strain.
She reached the semifinals at the
ITFThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
tournament in
Sea IslandSea Island is an affluent resort island located in the barrier islands just off the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia in the United States. The resort complex is located in an unincorporated Glynn County....
, before withdrawing from a match versus
Maria SharapovaMaria Yuryevna Sharapova is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player and three time Grand Slam singles champion...
due to the adductor injury. She lost in the 1st round of the ITF tournament in Charlottesville. She did not compete for the rest of the season due to a continuing back injury
At the end of the 2003 season and her professional career, she was ranked #305 in singles and #176 in doubles.
Kournikova's two Grand Slam doubles titles came in 1999 and 2002, both at the
Australian OpenThe Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was contested on grass from then up to 1987. Since 1988, the tournament has been held on hard...
in the Women's Doubles event with partner
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
, with whom she played frequently starting in 1999. 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. OpenThe US Open, formally the United States Open tennis championships, is a tennis tournament which is the modern incarnation of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, with the U.S. National Championship, which for mens' singles was first contested in 1881...
and at Wimbledon, and reaching the No.1 ranking in doubles in the
Women's Tennis AssociationThe Women's Tennis Association, formed in 1973, is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis. It organizes the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women, which has for sponsorship reasons been known since 2005 as The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour...
tour rankings. Her pro career doubles record was 200–71. However, her singles career plateaued after 1999. For the most part, she managed to retain her ranking between 10 and 15 (her career high singles ranking was No.8), but her expected finals breakthrough failed to occur; she only reached four finals out of 130 singles tournaments, never in a Grand Slam event, and never won one.
Her singles record is 209–129. Her final playing years were marred by a string of injuries, especially back injuries, which caused her ranking to erode gradually.
As a personality Kournikova was among the most common search strings for both articles and images in her prime. She continues to be the most searched athlete in the world.
2004–present: Exhibitions and World Team Tennis
Kournikova has not played on the WTA Tour since 2003, but still plays exhibition matches for charitable causes. In late 2004, she participated in three events organized by
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 200 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the...
and by fellow tennis players
Serena WilliamsSerena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and current World No. 1. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on four separate occasions...
and
Andy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. His best surfaces are hard court and grass....
. In January 2005, she played in a doubles charity event for the Indian Ocean tsunami with
John McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles—three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open—nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
,
Andy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. His best surfaces are hard court and grass....
, and
Chris EvertChristine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. According to the Women's Tennis...
. In November 2005, she teamed up with
Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
, playing against
Lisa RaymondLisa Raymond is a professional female tennis player from the United States. On June 12, 2000, she reached the World No. 1 ranking in doubles. Her career high singles ranking was World No...
and
Samantha StosurSamantha Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She is a former world No. 1 on WTA Tour in doubles, together with Lisa Raymond from the United States. As of October 19, 2009, Stosur is ranked No. 13 in singles and No...
in the WTT finals for charity. Kournikova is also a member of the St. Louis Aces in the
World Team TennisWorld TeamTennis is a Professional Tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. The league has been opened for international teams.-First league:...
(WTT), playing doubles only.
In September 2008, Kournikova showed up for the 2008 Nautica Malibu Triathlon held at
Zuma BeachZuma Beach is a County beach located at 30000 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. One of the largest and most popular beaches in the Los Angeles County, Zuma is known for its long, wide sands and excellent surf...
in
Malibu, CaliforniaMalibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population is 12,575....
. The Race raised funds for children's Hospital Los Angeles. She won that race for women's
K-SwissK-Swiss , Inc. is an American footwear company based in Westlake Village, California. They design, develop, and market a range of athletic shoes under the K-Swiss brand and its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Elastics, Inc.- History :...
team. On September 27, 2008, Kournikova played exhibition matches in
Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. Charlotte's population was estimated to be 687,456 in 2008, making it the 18th largest city in the United States. Residents of Charlotte are referred to as "Charlotteans"...
; she played two mixed doubles matches. She partnered
Tim WilkisonTim Wilkison is a former professional male tennis player from the United States. He was the #1 ranked junior in the United States and went on to play professional tennis for over 25 years. Wilkison won 6 singles titles and 9 doubles championships. He is best known for his diving volleys at...
and
Karel NovacekKarel Nováček is a retired Czech former top ten tennis player. Born in Prostějov, Czechoslovakia . Nováček now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, United States....
. Kournikova and Wilkinson defeated
Jimmy AriasJames Arias is a former top-ranked tennis touring professional player from the United States.From Grand Island, near Buffalo, New York, Arias's peak year was 1983, when as a 19 year-old he finished the year ranked World No. 6, having reached the U.S...
and
Chanda RubinChanda Rubin is a professional tennis player from the United States.Throughout her long career, she has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world even though she has been plagued by injuries...
, and then Kournikova and Novacek defeated Chanda Rubin and Tim Wilkison.
On October 12, 2008, Anna Kournikova played one exhibitional match for the annual charity event, hosted by
Billie Jean KingBillie Jean King is a tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
and Sir Elton John, raised more than $400,000 for the Elton John
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
Foundation and Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund. She played doubles with
Andy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. His best surfaces are hard court and grass....
(they were coached by Sir Elton John) versus
Martina NavratilovaMartina Navrátilová is a Czech-American tennis player. A former World No. 1...
and
Jesse LevineJesse Levine is a left-handed, Canadian-born American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high rank of # 94 on November 3, 2008....
(coached by Billie Jean King); Kournikova and Roddick won 5–4(3).
Kournikova competed alongside
John McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles—three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open—nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
,
Tracy AustinTracy Ann Austin Holt is a former World No. 1 women's professional tennis player from the United States who won the women's singles title at the US Open in 1979 and 1981 and the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1980, before a series of injuries cut short her career.-To 1980:Austin won 21...
and
Jim CourierJames Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world number one professional tennis player from the United States...
at the
Legendary Night, which was held on May 2, 2009, at the Turning Stone Event Center, Verona, NY. The legendary night of tennis consisted of a grudge match between McEnroe and Courier in singles followed by a mixed doubles match of McEnroe and Austin against Courier and Kournikova.
She is the current
K-SwissK-Swiss , Inc. is an American footwear company based in Westlake Village, California. They design, develop, and market a range of athletic shoes under the K-Swiss brand and its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Elastics, Inc.- History :...
spokesperson. In a feature for
ELLEElle may refer to:*Elle *Ellé, a river in the region of Brittany, France*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle of Sussex, a Saxon king*Elle, an orthographic unit consisting of ll in Spanish orthography...
magazine's July 2005 issue, Kournikova stated that if she were 100% fit, she would like to come back and compete again.
Playing style
As a player, Kournikova was noted for her footspeed and aggressive baseline play, and excellent angles and dropshots; however, her relatively flat, high-risk groundstrokes tended to produce frequent errors, and her serve was sometimes unreliable in singles.
Kournikova holds her racket in her right hand but uses both hands when she plays
backhandThe backhand is a tennis shot in which one swings the racquet around one's body in the direction where one wants the ball to go, usually performed from the baseline or as an approach shot...
shots. She is a good player at the net. She can hit forceful groundstrokes and also
drop shotA drop shot in tennis is slicing, putting a backspin on the ball just over the net. A good drop shot travels such that the opponent is unable to run fast enough to retrieve it....
s.
Her playing style fits the profile for a doubles player, and is complemented by her height. She has been compared to such doubles specialists as
Pam ShriverPamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and current sports broadcaster from the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and 1 mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments...
and
Peter FlemingPeter Blair Fleming is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Fleming attended Chatham High School, where he won the New Jersey high school individual championship in 1972, during his junior year.Fleming was a highly successful professional tennis player...
.
Personal life
Kournikova's marital status has been an issue on several occasions. There were conflicting rumors about whether she was engaged to ice hockey player
Pavel BurePavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed the Russian Rocket for his speed, he played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
. There were reports that she married
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
ice hockey star
Sergei FedorovSergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenseman currently playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League...
in 2001. Kournikova's representatives have denied this, but Fedorov stated in 2003 that the couple had married and since divorced.
Kournikova started dating
pop starPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
Enrique IglesiasEnrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler , better known as Enrique Iglesias, is a Spanish singer, songwriter and actor....
in late 2001 (she appeared in his video, "Escape"), and rumors that the couple had secretly married circulated in 2003 and again in 2005. Kournikova herself has consistently refused to directly confirm or deny the status of her personal relationships. But in May 2007,
Enrique IglesiasEnrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler , better known as Enrique Iglesias, is a Spanish singer, songwriter and actor....
was (mistakenly, as he would clarify later) quoted in the
New York SunThe New York Sun was a contemporary five-day daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 until 2008. When it debuted on 2002-04-16, it became "the first general interest broadsheet newspaper to be launched in New York in two generations." The newspaper's president and editor-in-chief was...
that he had no intention of marrying Kournikova and settling down because they had split up. The singer would later deny these rumors of "divorce" or simply separation. In June 2008, Iglesias told the
Daily Star that he had married Kournikova the previous year and that they are currently separated. Enrique has stated in interviews after that it was simply a joke, and they are still very much together.
Media publicity
Most of Kournikova's fame has come from the publicity surrounding her personal life, as well as numerous modeling shoots. During Kournikova's debut at the 1996 U.S. Open at the age of 15, the world noticed her beauty, and soon pictures of her appeared in numerous magazines worldwide.
In 2000, Kournikova became the new face for
BerleiBerlei is a brand of women's lingerie and in particular bras and girdles.-History:The brand originated in Australia in 1917. Berlei undergarments are now sold in Australia by Pacific Brands and in the United Kingdom by Courtaulds Textiles....
's shock absorber sports bras, and appeared in the highly successful "only the ball should bounce" billboard campaign. Photographs of her scantily-clad form have appeared in various
men's magazines, including one in the much-publicized 2004
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit IssueThe Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by Sports Illustrated. It features fashion models wearing swimwear in exotic locales. Inclusion is considered a stick by which supermodels are measured. In addition, the issue is a media nexus that in 2005 carried $35 million in...
, where she posed in bikinis and swimsuits, and in other popular men's publications such as
FHMFHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
and
MaximMaxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its revealing pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, none of whom are nude in the American version....
. Kournikova was named one of
PeoplePeople is a weekly American magazine of celebrity and human-interest stories, published by Time Inc. As of 2006, it has a circulation of 3.75 million and revenue expected to top $1.5 billion. It was named "Magazine of the Year" by Advertising Age in October 2005, for excellence in editorial,...
's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2003 and was voted "hottest female athlete" and "hottest couple" (with Iglesias) on
ESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 360, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
. In 2002 she also placed first in
FHMFHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
's 100 Sexiest Women in the World in U.S. and UK editions. By contrast,
ESPNESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
—citing the degree of hype as compared to actual accomplishments as a singles player—ranked Kournikova 18
th in its "25 Biggest Sports Flops of the Past 25 Years". Kournikova was also ranked #1 in the ESPN Classic series "Who's number 1?" when the series featured sport's most overrated athletes.
Anna's popularity has extended into
Texas Hold 'emTexas hold 'em is the most popular poker game in the casinos and poker card rooms across North America and Europe, and online...
lingo, where the hole cards
AceThe word "ace" comes from the Old French word 'as' meaning 'a unit', from the name of a small Roman coin. It originally meant the side of a die with only one mark, before it was a term for a playing card...
-
KingThe king is a playing card with a picture of a king on it. The usual rank of a king is as if it were a 13; that is, above the queen. In some games, the king is the highest-ranked card; in others, the ace is higher...
are sometimes referred to as an "Anna Kournikova," not only because the hand shares the AK initials with the tennis star, but also because the hand has the reputation of not playing well. It is said that a Kournikova hand "looks really good, but rarely wins."
Career statistics and awards
- 1996: WTA Newcomer of the Year
This is a list with all the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Awards given by the WTA Tour to players who have done or achieved something remarkable during the season or their career...
- 1999: WTA Doubles Team of the Year
This is a list with all the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Awards given by the WTA Tour to players who have done or achieved something remarkable during the season or their career...
(with Martina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
)
- 2002: ESPN Hottest Female Athlete
Books
- Anna Kournikova by Susan Holden (2001) (ISBN 9781842224168 / ISBN 1842224166)
- Anna Kournikova (Women Who Win) by Connie Berman (2001) (ISBN 0791065294 / ISBN 978-0791065297)
External links