Anna Kournikova can be credited for making women’s tennis more fashionable and creating a legacy to which the likes of Sharapova and Ivanovic are worthy heirs
A celebrity at the age of 15, Anna Kournikova was at one-time the most sought after name on the google website. Her fans — mostly males — showered on her the kind of love and attention that most Grand Slam winners yearn for. Despite being unable to win a single Grand Slam her fame cut across the tennis spectrum.
A testament to this is the numerous relationships with people outside the tennis domain. With Russian ice hockey player Pavel Bure, NHL hockey star Sergei Fedorov and her current flame pop star Enrique Iglesias gracing the chat, the list is eclectic and impressive.
Making her debut in the US Open at the age of 15 in 1996, the world noticed Anna Kournikova. Not only was it for her tennis — the presence of talent was never in doubt — but also for her smashing looks, blonde hair and the élan with which she carried herself on and off the court.
Voted by People’s magazine as the 50 most beautiful people in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 and the hottest female athlete on ESPN.com, she also has the dubious distinction of having a deadly internet virus named after her. What is most astonishing about her is despite being a non performer on the tennis court she emerged as one of the most highly endorsed athletes.
Despite her talent and early success in the tennis arena, a spate of injuries later on forced her into premature retirement. With her mind off tennis she went into modelling a big way and was a regular feature in men’s magazines and websites. Though, ESPN also rated her as one of the 25 biggest sports flops in the past 25 years, such unflattering and unkind remarks don’t take her injuries into account.
As always, the inordinate publicity that follows her everywhere also has a flip side to it. Controversy and superfluous rumour is as much a part of her life as the endorsements that continually pour in. If nothing, she can be credited for making women’s tennis more fashionable and creating a legacy to which the likes of Sharapova and Ivanovic are worthy heirs.
