Anna Kournikova is a famous Russian model and tennis player. She became noticed as a tennis player of some promise. She even ranked as high as the number eight player in the world. Most of her success in tennis came from her doubles play. She won multiple Grand Slams with partner Martina Hingis. As of late, she is mostly retired from the sport, often only playing in charity events and the like.
Although she has had a relatively successful tennis career, her accomplishments in sports are overshadowed by her popularity as a model. She has appeared scantily-clad and sexy outfits in numerous men’s magazines. She also has been the face of several advertising campaigns, including a very success campaign for Berlei and their shock absorbing sports bras. The campaign famously coined the phrase “only the ball should bounce”, in reference to the support provided by the bra limiting or preventing the wearer’s breasts from bouncing around.
She has been named to many “Most Beautiful People” lists, including People and FHM. Unfortunately for Kournikova, the extra media exposure from her popularity as a model translated into increased expectations on her as a tennis player. She was unable to live up to these expectations, and she was seen as overrated. She became the model for future female tennis stars and would be models such as Maria Sharapova.
In her personal life, she has been connected to many famous men including Russian hockey stars Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov, Mark Philippoussis, and Latin pop sensation Enrique Iglesias. Her relationships have been the subject of great media attention and speculation. She has been reported to have been engaged to Pavel Bure, and to have been married to Sergei Fedorov. Rumors that Iglesias (whom she had worked with in a music video for his song “Escape”) and Kournikova had married came up numerous times, and they were vehemently denied. Also numerous reports of the couple’s separation have also been reported and unfounded.
In 2009, she began a comeback to the sport of tennis, playing in the Champions Cup Boston.
