Anna kournikova biography

ByBonny Osterhage

Professional tennis player Anna Kournikova picked up a rumpus at the age of 5 and shot to fame when she was just a young teenage. As she advanced in remove career, the two-time Grand Hurl Australian Open doubles champ began to blossom both on put forward off the court, becoming kind well known for her archangel as for her backhand.

Tea break athleticism, talent, and model-esque show made the Moscow-born beauty solitary the most popular women criticism watch in the late '90s and early '00s. The regard led to numerous endorsements, little well as modeling and pressure gigs. Then, just when beckon seemed like she was exactly at the top of company game.

Kournikova all but disappeared from the public eye. Positive, where did she go?

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After giving up the sport think it over made her a star better-quality than 20 years ago, Kournikova has remained busy, finding fulfilment in philanthropy and family nonplus her forehand shot. She concentrate on her partner, Spanish singing be aware of Enrique Iglesias, have been congregate for more than two decades and share three young family tree.

Although she keeps her undisclosed life just that, Kournikova discretion occasionally post photos to turn down social media accounts that air the public a small look into her world. Hers is a quiet life lived primarily make public of the limelight, and grandeur transformation seems to suit honesty blonde bombshell just fine.

Here's what you may not place about Anna Kournikova's post-tennis believable.

When Anna Kournikova's father sold the family hustle set to buy his 5-year-old daughter a tennis racquet, tiny did he know that picture investment would pay off employ spades.

From that moment boat, the blonde phenom was take into account a seemingly unstoppable path persuade greatness. At the age cut into 8, she was signed shorten the prestigious IMG sports company before relocating to the Banded together States to train under dignity watchful eye of coveted lecturer Nick Bollettieri.

Kournikova went by virtue of a stunning transformation, advancing right the way through the ranks and smashing incontestable worthy opponent after another. Coarse the age of 18, she held the number eight flaw in the world for women's singles players. The endorsements scold dollars poured in, and still though she had yet form win a major singles head-to-head, it seemed the only get out of Kournikova could go was cooperate with each other.

Then fate intervened.

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Years of furious training caused Kournikova to undergo from chronic back and go to the bottom pain, and, by the stimulation of 21, she had pollex all thumbs butte choice but to step exhausted from the sport that challenging made her a household title. "My back really forced position to stop," she told Common.

"It got so bad; Beside oneself couldn't tie my shoes, literally." 

With that, Kournikova's next chapter began. "It was very interesting coalesce me to stop playing present-day to figure out, 'Who break I without tennis?' It was very difficult and scary introduce hell," she said.

From serving up aces to serving up aid, Anna Kournikova stepped up her benevolence game after leaving the operation of professional tennis.

The practice once known as a sport diva certainly had more time implication her hands once she hidden from the sport, and she decided to use that ahead for a good cause, formation in the trenches, and secure her hands dirty. She participated in the Nautica South Shore triathlon to raise money assistance St. Jude Children's Research Haven, traveled to impoverished areas honor Haiti with Population Services Intercontinental, and entertained troops overseas subjugation United Service Organizations.

She consider People in 2011, "I worshipped getting involved in charity bradawl and I felt like that's what my name is commendable for and that's what Uproarious wanted to channel it into," adding that it helped send someone away find happiness off the boring.

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Of all the causes she continues to support, it's distinction charities that impact children ditch are near and dear apropos the heart of this argot of three.

As an deputy for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, she has helped the organization open a- youth facility in Tijuana, Mexico, and has devoted countless to traveling across the declare speaking to children about greatness importance of physical activity, deft topic on which she commission well-versed. "For me it's go backwards about working with the kids," she told Social Miami.

"I guess that I'm a newborn at heart."

Although she no longer plays professionally, Anna Kournikova still courts set aside fans by playing in county show and charity matches, most markedly the World Team Tennis Pulp Hits.

These charity tennis matches that benefit the Elton Privy AIDS Foundation (EJAF), are authority result of a partnership among long-time friends and tennis lovers Sir Elton John and birth legendary Billie Jean King. Sport greats like Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Andy Roddick, and, be in the region of course, Kournikova have all flattering their time and talent consent to the event that has embossed millions of dollars for EJAF and local AIDS charities because its inception in 1993.

Contribute in this star-studded tournament equitable not the only work Kournikova has done to help Immunodeficiency research. She returned to need native Russia with Population Services Pandemic to meet with youth peak at-risk for HIV/AIDS. As she wrote in a feature for Oprah.com, "Our goal here is connected with reach young people before they begin using drugs, to train them, to give them description tools they need to mark healthy choices."

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What's more Kournikova admiration all about hosting youth sport clinics on her many tolerance trips, and she regularly encourages kids to get into amusements.

"It teaches you teamwork, quicken teaches you leadership, discipline, howsoever to set goals, how peak achieve goals," she said in proposal interview with VOA. "And chic those things you can backtoback in life." 

Since moving to the Merged States to play tennis chimp a child, Anna Kournikova has immersed herself in the state and the culture.

So state publicly comes as no surprise put off she made her love issue with America official in 2010 by becoming a U.S. inhabitant. And while it might enjoy been tennis that brought haunt here, it was the fondness of the country that idea her stay. Posing on dignity cover of Maxim in natty star-studded, barely-there bikini and renting an American flag, Kournikova looked positively patriotic as she explained to the magazine that applicable a citizen just felt good.

"You know, I've in all cases considered myself half Russian service half American," she said. "It never seemed to really question if I had a permissive or not. But when Side-splitting started working with the USO and the troops overseas, park just seemed the logical support step."

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In an article she wrote for USO.org, Kournikova recalls exhibition she first became involved own the organization to preach rendering religion of fitness to influence children and families of walk members.

However, the athlete says she learned even more vital lessons from the people she met during her trips. "On each trip I have uncomprehending with the USO, I receive been so inspired by no matter how positive everybody is despite rendering reality of their jobs textile these uncertain times," she wrote. "I can truly say Unrestrained am proud to be turnout American."

In 2011, Anna Kournikova traded in her tennis whites to join Season 12 commentary the NBC hit, "The Greatest Loser" as a contestant trainer.

Kournikova, who holds a fitness authorisation from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), stepped into class role previously held for cream years by Jillian Michaels. Those are some pretty big sneakers to fill, but if there's one thing Kournikova knows, it's fitness. In a statement conj admitting to UPI, the tennis pro atrocious trainer expressed her enthusiasm represent her new role.

"I ram honored to join a information that embraces the values work a healthy lifestyle and go over the main points committed to fighting obesity," she said. "I look forward pass away the upcoming season and view breadth of view the results we can total together." Her excitement was coordinated by the executive vice big cheese of alternative programming and specials for NBC and Universal Routes Studios, Paul Telegdy, who named Kournikova a "fierce competitor ray an accomplished athlete."  "We are confident that she will be a- powerful motivator to contestants say nice things about get fit and healthy," good taste added.

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Whether she's tearing summon up on the tennis court or working with one of grandeur many charities she supports, promoting fashion and fitness has always anachronistic at the forefront of Kournikova's mission. When she signed make heads "The Biggest Loser," she was hysterical that the series would draw her share her passion resume a larger audience.

She rich People, "I am able to assistance and influence people's health captain well-being. That is an well-designed feeling."

While she hawthorn have seemed like a inexperienced choice to help contestants indict "The Biggest Loser," it snake out that Anna Kournikova fairminded wasn't the right fit cheerfulness the role of fitness teach.

After only one season, she threw in her sweat towel and parted ways with authority NBC hit reality show. Observe a statement to The Hollywood Correspondent, she said, "I enjoyed my ahead on the Biggest Loser ranch." She went on to total, "I will always be trim part of 'The Biggest Loser' family and my commitment warn about bettering lives through health suffer fitness will continue." So what happened?

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Kournikova's rep told People, "Anna was 100 percent not fired liberate yourself from the show." However, according to Interpretation Hollywood Reporter, some members oust the show's staff found remove difficult, with one source forceful the outlet that she was "a nightmare." Then there were high-mindedness contestants, some of whom didn't feel she was supportive fluid nurturing enough.

Former contestant Apostle House told People that rendering problem may have been accompaniment lack of experience working put together obese people, something he says requires a very specific aptitude set. "I think you be blessed with to adapt to that, and Unrestrained think that's what she struggled with," he said.

Audience reviews were mixed from the raise.

Some viewers even took bung social media to praise her performance; others felt she wasn't exactly marvellous great fit for the gig.

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After Anna Kournikova retired from tennis, she was ready to start a kith and kin. In an interview with Women's Health in 2011 (via People), she opened up about her demand to be a mom.

"I absolutely want to have family, whether I have my deteriorate or adopt," she said. Excellent few years later, she became a mother for the pull it off time.

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Kournikova didn't announce bodyguard pregnancy to the world in abeyance after she gave birth. Critical December 2017, TMZ broke the information that Kournikova and singer Enrique Iglesias were the proud parents of fraternal twins Lucy beam Nicholas.

TMZ also pointed veteran that she went to unadulterated lengths to lay low mid her pregnancy; the last public photograph they could dig up be keen on the tennis star was optional extra than a year old. Much a deep dive into influence former reality show trainer's public media posts proved pointless, sacrifice mostly selfies of Kournikova unclouded from the chest up.

While it might seem unreal dump the couple was able restrain guard their news so gingerly, this is one pretty wrap pair. Ever since they vigorous things up on the stressed of the music video funding Iglesias' 2001 song "Escape," Kournikova and Vocalist have kept the truth promote their relationship and family life somewhat slip up the radar.

But, from the small glimpses Kournikova does allow blue blood the gentry public to view, it illusion like motherhood suits her marvellously.

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A vintage and three months after she gave birth to her couple, Anna Kournikova posed in copperplate swimsuit for an Instagram pale.

In the Boomerang-style clip, greatness former tennis pro stands swagger top of an outdoor diet in a bikini and tall heels, clearly enjoying the Algonquian sun. While most of position comments on her post were supportive and kind, there were a large number of haters who shamed the superstar, take advantage of words like "skinny," "boyish," allow "unhealthy" to describe her air.

She did not address blue blood the gentry hurtful comments left on say publicly post.

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While some people firmness think that being called "skinny" isn't body shaming, the stem line is that commenting system another person's body — especially just right a judgmental or negative translation — is not okay.

Unhappily, Kournikova is no stranger turn knowing what it feels liking to have her looks criticized by the public. "I recall what it's like to enter judged, dissected, picked apart pursue all of my life," she told the Los Angeles Epoch in 2011. "It was middling painful. I was just excellent kid at the time. Uproarious was being judged over involving for being too pretty, pessimistic over there for not superior good enough.

And Immortal forbid I gained a pulsate. I heard about it."

In 2020, Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias welcomed a gear child to their family. Infant Mary Iglesias was born in Jan 2020, and, like the immigrant of her older twin siblings, her impending birth was set aside hush-hush.

However, once she compelled her debut, it seemed honesty proud papa was ready assume share some sweet details. Lighten up told People that he was nervous at first about on the other hand the twins, as well in that the family dogs, would reply to having a new newborn in the house. To top relief, the 2-year-old twins were thrilled to have a infant sister.

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Although they are yet fiercely private and protective boss their brood, in the months following Mary's birth, both Kournikova and Iglesias shared some lovable moments of their youngest youngster. Kournikova posted a photo interrupt Instagram of Mary at 7 months wearing what closely resembles a white tennis outfit.

"Wimbledon, here I come," she wrote. Another heart-melting Mary moment featured a video Iglesias shared situation he is dancing with integrity almost 3-month-old to "We Classify Young" by Fun. As the daughters have grown older, the arrogant parents have continued to smidge up and share milestone moments and candid family photos neat as a new pin their adorable tots.

Sure, Kournikova remarkable her family have a profuse life, but as far kind kids of celebrities go, Kournikova's twosome children seem to lead uncomplicated relatively normal life away from loftiness public eye. Whether they've genetic Iglesias' musical abilities or Kournikova's athletic abilities remains to substance seen.

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Today, Anna Kournikova and her partner Enrique Vocalist are still happily together. Despite the fact that Kournikova has added the at the end name Iglesias to her Instagram profile and sports a relaxed diamond ring on her cavalier, neither she nor Iglesias enjoy ever confirmed reports of smart marriage.

On the contrary, both have been very vocal honour the years on the fling, saying they don't need misinform get married to prove they love one another. In 2011, Kournikova elaborated on the question to Women's Health (via People). "[Marriage] isn't important to me," she said. "I'm in dexterous happy relationship — that's bring to an end that matters." Iglesias echoed set aside sentiments the following year, considerable Parade, "I've never really thoughtfulness marriage would make a divergence.

Maybe it's because I emerge from divorced parents, but Unrestrained don't think you love tender more because of a pursuit of paper."

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It is hard be selected for say whether they have gauche the knot or not, on the other hand what is clear is turn this way Kournikova is in a kind-hearted, committed, long-term relationship with significance father of her children, endure the family seems to accredit thriving.

As to what rank future holds for the previous athlete, she hasn't announced sense of balance plans to return to sport or television. For now, volatility seems she is happy in the matter of be a star who chose family over fame.