For a long time, Anna Kournikova was everywhere — until she wasn’t. So what happened to the so-called Britney Spears of Tennis?
Anna Kournikova was dubbed the Britney Spears of tennis and voted FHM’s World’s Sexiest Woman in 2002. She was everywhere — until she wasn’t. A year later, injuries forced Kournikova to retire at age 21 and she stepped away from the spotlight. Nowadays, Kournikova focuses on her relationship with Enrique Iglesias and their three children. The former Russian athlete doesn’t seem to miss the media attention of her adolescence and early adulthood. Kournikova was never a fan of it anyway.
“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. Never tried to pay attention,” she said at the press conference following her and Martina Hingis’ 2010 friendly match against Anne Hobbs and Sam Smith (via The Gazette). But she couldn’t escape it, especially considering how young she was. “It was a little hard [at] times dealing with it being 16, 17 years old, reading some kind of crap about yourself,” she said.
The media did get out of hand with its coverage of Kournikova. Even though she was an athlete, a lot of said coverage focused on her looks, with no regard for the fact she was a minor. “They ran all those photos of my butt,” she told Sports Illustrated of her Wimbledon debut in 1997, celebrated just days after she turned 16. Kournikova put all this behind her when she left the sport in the early 2000s and she hasn’t looked back.
Read More: https://www.nickiswift.com/1761570/why-anna-kournikova-disappeared/
Anna Kournikova was once one of the most famous tennis players in the world, captivating millions with her incredible skill, beauty, and magnetic personality. A former tennis prodigy, she was one of the most marketable athletes of the late 1990s and early 2000s, gracing magazine covers and making headlines for both her athletic achievements and her glamorous lifestyle. However, despite her immense popularity, Kournikova gradually disappeared from the public eye, leaving fans and the media wondering why she stepped away from the spotlight.
The Rise to Fame
Born in Moscow, Russia, in 1981, Anna Kournikova showed early promise in tennis. She was recognized as a rising star at the age of 14, becoming the youngest player to win a match at the US Open in 1996. By the late ’90s, Kournikova was already one of the top players in the world, and her stunning looks and cheerful personality made her a media sensation. She was often compared to other tennis stars, but it was her combination of athleticism and beauty that set her apart, making her one of the most marketable athletes of her generation.
She achieved her greatest success in doubles, where she reached the number one ranking in the world and won two Grand Slam titles alongside partner Martina Hingis. However, despite her success in doubles, Kournikova never won a singles title, a factor that often overshadowed her career in the eyes of some critics. Still, she remained a beloved figure in the sports world due to her on-court charisma and off-court popularity.
The Strain of Fame
As Kournikova’s fame grew, so did the pressure. Being constantly in the public eye took a toll on her mental and physical well-being. The constant media scrutiny of her looks, relationships, and every move she made was exhausting. She found herself being labeled as a “sex symbol” rather than a serious athlete, which bothered her. Kournikova’s popularity was often more about her appearance than her tennis achievements, and this superficial focus took away from her passion for the sport.
Moreover, by the early 2000s, Kournikova struggled with a series of injuries, including a chronic back problem that severely limited her ability to compete at the highest level. In 2003, she was forced to retire from professional tennis at the age of 22, cutting short what could have been a more successful career. With her tennis career dwindling and no major singles titles to her name, Kournikova’s public persona began to shift.
A Step Back From the Spotlight
After her retirement, Anna Kournikova took a step back from the limelight. She became less active in the media, and her public appearances became sparse. Many speculated about her reasons for disappearing, and while Kournikova kept a relatively private life, there were several factors at play.
First, she focused on her personal life. In the mid-2000s, Kournikova entered a long-term relationship with pop star Enrique Iglesias, a partnership that garnered attention but remained relatively private. The couple rarely made public appearances together, preferring to keep their lives away from the tabloids. Kournikova has expressed how important her privacy is, and with her partner, she embraced a more low-key existence.
Second, Kournikova shifted her focus to other ventures. While she wasn’t competing on the tennis circuit anymore, she continued to work with various brands and was involved in charity work. She also appeared in a few TV shows and fitness-related projects, showing her versatility. Over time, Kournikova became more involved with her family and focused on being a mother, especially after she and Iglesias had children.
Conclusion
Anna Kournikova’s disappearance from the public eye wasn’t so much a vanishing act as it was a conscious decision to reclaim her privacy and live life on her own terms. While the media and her fans may have longed for her to return to the tennis court or to the spotlight, Kournikova made it clear that she wanted to pursue a life away from the pressures that come with being in the public eye. Today, she remains a quiet but influential figure, continuing to live a life that prioritizes her family and personal happiness over fame and media attention.