{"id":3483,"date":"2023-10-06T08:48:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T08:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=3483"},"modified":"2023-10-06T08:48:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T08:48:37","slug":"anna-kournikovas-tennis-career-ended-at-just-22-today-she-has-an-empire-worth-50-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=3483","title":{"rendered":"Anna Kournikova\u2019s tennis career ended at just 22 \u2013 today she has an empire worth $50 million"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anna Kournikova became one of the best players in the world of tennis during her day, reaching as high as No. 8 in the world rankings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite that, the Russian star never won a singles title. Because of injuries, Anna was forced to give up her career at age 22. Even so, sponsorship and endorsement deals continued to flood in<\/strong>,\u00a0and she soon became one of the most \u2018Googled\u2019 people globally.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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After her career ended, Kournikova became a big celebrity through several television productions, modeling, and other projects. Her marriage to Enrique Iglesias also whet the appetite of entertainment newspapers \u2013 these days, the couple live a somewhat quieter life with their children.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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So what does Anna Kournikova do today? And what does the 42-year-old look like? This is all you need to know about her!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Many young people dream about becoming celebrities and achieving fame in a chosen field. With that in mind, the most important things behind becoming successful, be it an entertainment star in Hollywood, the brightest shining singer in opera, or the best dancer and performer on Broadway, are hard work, believing in yourself, and dedication.<\/p>\n

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That also goes for the world of sports, where young, promising athletes fight tooth and nail to make it.<\/p>\n

Of course, though the road to fame is a notoriously tough one, it\u2019s important to remember that the higher you rise, the longer you have to fall.<\/p>\n

Anna Kournikova \u2013 tennis star and global brand<\/h2>\n

For Anna Kournikova \u2013 once one of the highly-touted young tennis players in the world \u2013 that was the case. Experts thought she was the next big star in the sport, ready to climb its lofty heights. However, her career ended almost before it had started, despite the fact she turned pro at a very early age.<\/p>\n

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Anna entered the sport at a time when it was male-dominated, and fans, sponsors, and even journalists wanted a piece of her. This meant that in some ways she became a product instead of a person, and her looks took center stage in place of her obvious talent.<\/p>\n

The Russian\u2019s career may not have ended when and where she wanted to, but she still managed to create an empire and, at the same time, a beautiful family.<\/p>\n

\"Anna
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Anna Kournikova was born in Moscow on June 7, 1981. At the age of five, she started playing tennis with some friends and, soon after, became a regular at a tennis club in Moscow.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI played well and I enjoyed the sport so my parents challenged me some more. Two years later, I began taking lessons at a professional tennis club where a lot of the current Russian tennis players were trained,\u201d Kournikova wrote in the book\u00a0Chicken Soup for the Soul: Extraordinary Teens: Personal Stories and Advice from Today\u2019s Most Inspiring Youth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Anna Kournikova \u2013\u00a0early life & move to the US<\/h2>\n

\u201cSure enough, tennis quickly became my life, my outlet, my circle of friends and my community. My coach was basically my second mother,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything in my life was about tennis and training. Somehow I knew, even though I was just a kid, that I didn\u2019t really have many other options. At the time, life in Russia was tough \u2013 there weren\u2019t that many opportunities there like there are in the Untied States. \u201c<\/p>\n

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Kournikova was a colossal talent, and plenty of people saw that. Not only did coaches and her parents see her potential, but also agents and talented coaches on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n

As explained in the book\u00a0An Athlete\u2019s Guide to Agents<\/em>, author Robert H. Ruxin writes how agents wanted a piece of Anna Kournikova even before she was a teenager. IMG Tennis, a global tennis management company, was quick to set its sights on Anna and decided to act.<\/p>\n

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Anna, whom IMG had discovered as ten-year-old slogging old tennis balls across the court in Moscow, was tipped to become one of their biggest stars. IMG moved Anna and her mother to its Lord Tennis Academy, and helped make her a millionaire by the age 13, this before playing in a single professional tournament.<\/p>\n

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Put simply, the management realized that Anna Kournikova was more than just a tennis player at that age. She was renowned not only for her talents on the tennis court, but also for her looks. Despite her tender years, IMG are said to have considered her appearance an essential factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreepy and gross\u201d<\/h2>\n

Even at the age of 10, Anna was as renowned for her looks as for her ability, New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenburg claimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven before her results started, even when she was a junior, people talked about her at IMG \u2013 which is creepy and gross, but it still happens to this day; \u2018Oh my God, you should see this 12-year-old, she\u2019s beautiful,’\u201d Rothenburg said on the\u00a0No Challenges Remaining<\/em>\u00a0podcast.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPeople saw her as this package, and she became that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kournikova moved to Florida and started playing at the legendary Nick Bollettieri\u2019s tennis academy. Soon after, she began playing in junior tournaments \u2013 and no one even came close to beating her.<\/p>\n

In 1995, at age 14, Kournikova turned pro.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor a lot of sports, most people don\u2019t start playing professionally at fourteen, but tennis is one of those sports where rigorous training starts at a very young age,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn fact, as I remember it, it wasn\u2019t even a question of turning pro or not. I was groomed for so many years in preparation for this opportunity that I never even questioned it, I was both eager and hungry to prove myself on the WTA tour\u2026. I had won everything I could win on the Junior Circuit so I was really excited to move on to the next level. \u201c<\/p>\n

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Kournikova won the top international junior event the year she turned pro.<\/p>\n

Anna Kournikova \u2013 tennis career<\/h2>\n
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The year after, she reached the fourth round in her US Open debut, and at 16 she reached the semi-finals of the legendary Wimbledon tournament. All told, she spent about 35 weeks on the tennis circuit each year.<\/p>\n

At the same time, however, business off of the court was also significant for Anna and her team of managers and agents. Women\u2019s tennis was growing fast, and money was pouring into the sport via sports marketers who wanted to score big names for their companies.<\/p>\n

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As the internet became a global phenomenon, it was easier for marketers to reach audiences worldwide. Anna was a Russian who spoke flawless English and played tennis all over the world, and nothing short of a dream from a brand perspective.<\/p>\n

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Anna became the first, massive female tennis star to go commercial. She was endorsed with everything from watches to sports bras \u2013 and was on the cover of several weekly sports magazines. At 18, she had already become what many would call a \u201csex symbol,\u201d posing in small shirts and bras on covers.<\/p>\n

One of the most Googled persons<\/h2>\n

Though this left a bad taste in the mouths of many, Anna was reeling in cash. Sure, she was selling her imagine to all of these different companies, but fellow players, including the legendary Martina Navratilova, took the Russian star\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is she supposed to say, \u2018No, I don\u2019t want your money?\u2019 That\u2019s like winning the lottery and then saying, \u2018No, I don\u2019t really deserve it,’\u201d Navratilova once said of Kournikova.<\/p>\n

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Anna was heading for the stars. She won the Wimbledon double title together with Martina Hingis in 1999 and 2002, while things couldn\u2019t have been better from a commercial standpoint. In 2002, she also was\u00a0one of the most Googled individuals globally<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kournikova played on the WTA Tour for the last time in 2003. Sadly, at the age of 22, she was forced to retire due to injuries. She later continued to play in exhibition matches and competed in World Team Tennis, but her shot at becoming one of the sport\u2019s all-time greats was snatched away from her.<\/p>\n

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Even though she enjoyed playing tennis, a part of Kournikova was happy about her retirement.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou know, the fame and everything, I guess most of it was created by you guys, by the media a lot of times, most of the time the yellow press,\u201d Kournikova\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0on the evening she announced her retirement.<\/p>\n

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Anna Kournikova \u2013 family, husband, children, net worth<\/h2>\n

\u201c[I] never tried to pay attention. I mean, obviously, it was a little hard times dealing with it being 16, 17 years old, reading some kind of c**p about yourself, you know. Most of it was made up.\u201d<\/p>\n

We can all agree that Anna\u2019s career ended prematurely, but that didn\u2019t stop her from continuing to be successful. In fact, the Russian created herself an empire worth more than $50 million \u2013 today, she\u2019s happily married and has three children.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think it was cool,\u201d Kournikova said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a lot of hard work. It was a lot of satisfaction for my family and me, it was also fun. I got to drink soda and chew gum and travel around the world. At nine years old, I was living in America and eating fruit 12 months a year. I didn\u2019t have that back home. I\u2019d been to most countries by 14.\u201d<\/p>\n

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So what did she do after her on-court career ended? Kournikova worked as a model for a short while, while also continuing to appear in many commercials. She even had a minor role in the film\u00a0Me, Myself and Irene<\/em>, which starred Jim Carey.<\/p>\n

Relationship with Enrique Iglesias<\/h2>\n
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In late 2001, Anna Kournikova appeared in the music video\u00a0Escape<\/em>, by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. Enrique was a very famous singer in his birth country Spain \u2013 but he was also quite popular abroad. For example, the monster hit \u201cBailamos\u201d reached number one on the US\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0Hot 100.<\/p>\n

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In the music video for\u00a0Escape<\/em>, there was obvious chemistry between Enrique and Anna, and they were involved in some spicy scenes, kissing each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never met her before, but I\u2019m a big fan,\u201d the singer said at the time. \u201cI\u2019m sure a lot of guys want to meet her. I\u2019m one of them. She\u2019s beautiful, talented, great tennis player, you know, and I\u2019m sure she\u2019s going to be great in the video.\u201d<\/p>\n

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