Anna Kournikova biography

As an internationally-recognized tennis star, Anna Kournikova is one of today's leading female professional athletes. Anna's undeniable commitment to tennis and sportsmanship remain strong as she continues to expand her career and grow both personally and professionally.

Anna's illustrious tennis career has helped her transcend the sports industry and catapult her into the mainstream worlds of fashion, beauty, business, health and fitness. She is looked up to as a role-model, with her appeal and reputation extending far beyond the confines of the court.

Born in Moscow, Russia, Anna picked up her first tennis racquet at age five. She began hitting at Sokolniki Park and became a member of the prestigious Spartak Tennis Club, coached by Larissa Preobraschenskaja. In 1989, at the tender age of eight, Anna began appearing in junior tournaments, and by the following year, was attracting attention from tennis scouts across the world. Anna signed a management deal at age ten and went to Bradenton, Florida to train at Nick Bolletierri's celebrated tennis academy.

Following her arrival in the United States, Anna exploded onto the tennis scene, making her the internationally recognized tennis star she is today. At age 14, she became the youngest player ever to win a Fed Cup match. She then went on to win the European Championships and the Italian Open Junior tournament. Anna also beat out the competition to win the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl, becoming the youngest player ever to win the 18 and under division at that tournament. By the end of the year, Anna was crowned the ITF World Champion.

After her success in the juniors, Anna turned pro in 1995. She won two ITF singles tournaments, the 1st in Midland, Michigan, and the 2nd in Rockford, Illinois. Anna then battled through four qualifying rounds at the U.S. Open to eventually reach the fourth round of the main draw in her first-ever Grand Slam Tournament where she lost to Steffi Graff. At the end of 1996, Anna was the recipient of the prestigious Sanex WTA Tour Most Impressive Newcomer Award.

In 1997, Anna reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and became the 2nd woman in the Open Era, next to Chris Evert, to reach the Wimbledon Semi's in her career debut. A year later, Anna broke into the world's top 20 at #16. At The Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, Anna defeated four consecutive top 10 players in a four day period during a single tournament, an unprecedented achievement that no other female tennis player has accomplished to date. Three months later, she beat Steffi Graff on grass, a feat only two other players accomplished in the 90's. That same week, Anna broke in to the top 10 for the first time in her career. At the end of 1998, Anna finished the year at #13 in the world in singles and #10 in doubles. Her career continued to bloom during the next two years, with a year end ranking of #12 in singles and #1 in doubles in 1999, and #8 in singles and #4 in doubles in 2000.

Anna has defeated many of the top players who have competed on the women's tour, including Lindsay Davenport, Steffi Graff, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, and Martina Hingis. These impressive wins, along with Anna's consistent top 10 rankings, two Grand Slam doubles titles at the 1999 and 2002 Australian Open, and 3 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Finals, have more than proven her ability to excel in both singles and doubles on the WTA Tour.

Anna's accomplishments on the court have transcended off the court, making her one of the most recognized athletes in the world and a respected member of the sports community. In addition to her affiliations with K-Swiss and Yonex, Kournikova is an active supporter of the Boys and Girls Club.