What became of Anna Kournikova? precocious tennis player, model and influencer

Anna Kournikova (Moscow, 1981) was the great appearance of the women's tennis circuit in the mid-90s. The Russian soon emigrated to the United States to study at Nick Bolletieri's academy, who also worked with Seles, Agassi or Sharapova, and forge a career that would never be what he promised.. If at the age of 15 he was already able to reach the fourth round at the 1996 US Open, at the age of 16 he was planted in the Wimbledon semifinals and at 17 he was already in the top-10 of the WTA, from then on his tennis faded.

Engaged in an extra-sports life in which she monopolized as many or more spotlights than on the tracks because of her performance as a model (she was on the cover of magazines such as Vogue, Maxim, Elle, Cosmopolitan or Sports Illustrated), her sports career stagnated in the following years . At least on the individual circuit, where he would only reach three finals at Hilton Head (1999), Moscow (2000) and Shanghai (2002), losing the first two to another precocious tennis star: Martina Hingis. In doubles his career was more fruitful with two Australian Open (1999 and 2002) and two WTA Tour Championships (1999 and 2000), the current Finals, conquered precisely together with the Swiss. Finally in 2007 he announced his retirement reduced by some back problems.

In 2001, Kournikova, daughter of a physical education teacher who won medals in Greco-Roman wrestling and an athlete, made her relationship official with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias, with whom he has had three children, twins Nicholas and Lucy and little Mary. It is unknown if they have gotten married because of the secrecy with which they handle their private lives. Since she entered the world of show business, Kournikova's appearances in various publications and brand campaigns have multiplied exponentially (she also had a small role in the video clip of Escape, a song by her husband, and in fact it was on the set that they met). She won millions of dollars in advertising contracts from firms such as Adidas, Omega or Berlei and became the most searched athlete on Google. He even made a cameo in an episode of the series Friends.

A bomb in the age of sports marketing

Currently, Kournikova resides with her family in a luxurious house with a private bay in an exclusive neighborhood of Miami (USA). The Russian is often left by her social networks (she has millions of followers), in which the photos of her pets, her looks, and the various activities she does in the open abound, as well as videos with her children or her partner. She is also an ambassador for the sportswear brand K-Swiss and an ambassador for the Five & Alive Foundation, which is dedicated to ensuring the health of children up to five years old.

While Kournikova's tennis career fell short of the expected heights, it is indisputable that she left a legacy in the form of greater impact for women's tennis and was one of the most recognizable figures in the era of the explosion of sports marketing. along with others like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. Not many people have their name on things as different as a cocktail (a White Russian with skim milk instead of cream), a video game, a poker hand (king and ace of different suits) or a computer virus. A lot of tennis won, almost no one influence.