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Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (Russian
(language)|Russian: Анна Сергеевна
Курникова, Ánna Sergéyevna Kúrnikova;
born June 7, 1981) is a sports personality who
achieved fame playing tennis. She is one of the
best known tennis players, especially among those
who do not follow the game. Anna was born in
Moscow, Russia to Alla and Sergei Kournikov; her
family later emigrated to the United States, and
she currently resides in Miami, Florida.

==Tennis career==
Anna dazzled the world at age 13 and 14 in
international junior tennis, winning several
tournaments including the 1995 Rome
Masters|Italian Open. Anna Kournikova ended the
year as Junior European Champion and Junior World
Champion.

Kournikova debuted in professional tennis at age
14 in the Fed Cup for Russia, the youngest player
ever to participate. At 15, she reached the fourth
round of the 1996 U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open,
only to be stopped by then-top ranked player
Steffi Graf; she was also a member of the Russian
delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta,
Georgia. As a 16-year old, she reached the
semi-finals of Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon.
Kournikova's first of two Grand Slam in
tennis|Grand Slam doubles titles came in 1999 at
the Australian Open in the Women's Doubles event
with partner Martina Hingis, with whom she played
frequently.

Kournikova proved a succesful doubles player on
the senior circuit, winning sixteen doubles
titles, including two Australian Opens and being a
finalist in mixed doubles at the US Open and
Wimbeldon, and reaching #1 in doubles in the
Women's Tennis Association tour rankings.  Her
career doubles record was 200-71.  However, while
she was ranked as high as #8 as a singles player
at one point, she only reached the finals four
times in 130 singles tournaments, never won one,
and spent the bulk of her career ranked out of the
top thirty.  She had a record of 209-129 as a
singles player.

In 2001 Kournikova had ankle surgery and in 2003
she had complicated back surgery, causing her to
announce her retirement from the WTA tour.

==Media publicity==
However, much of Anna's fame -- more, many have
argued, than she ever gained in her tennis career
-- has come from publicity surrounding her
personal life as well as numerous modelling
shoots. A number of her relationships with other
celebrity|celebrities, including romantic
involvement (and even rumors of marriage) with pop
music|pop star Enrique Iglesias (in whose video,
Escape, she appeared), have featured prominently
in the tabloid|tabloid press. Photographs of her
scantily-clad form have appeared in various List
of men's magazines|men's magazines, including a
much-publicized Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
and other popular publications such as FHM and
Maxim (magazine)|Maxim. Kournikova was named one
of People (magazine)|Peoples 50 Most Beautiful
People in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2003. She has also
been voted "hottest athlete" on espn.com and
"sexiest woman in the world" by FHM readers. By
contrast, ESPN -- citing the degree of hype as
compared to actual accomplishments as a singles
player -- ranked Anna 18th in its "25
Biggest Sports Flops of the Past 25 Years".

Although she has retired from the WTA tour, she
still plays exhibition matches for charitable
causes. In late 2004 she participated in three
events organized by Elton John and by fellow
tennis stars Serena Williams and Andy Roddick.

Kournikova had a small role (as a motel manager)
in the 2000 film Me, Myself and Irene, starring
Jim Carrey.

==Trivia==
*She is rumored to have been briefly married to
Russian Ice hockey player Sergei Fedorov (which he
admits to) and is rumored to be married to singer
Enrique Iglesias.
*She last competed in a professional Singles
Tournament in April 2003.
*Kournikova's highest single ranking was #8,
highest doubles ranking was #1.

==Books==
*Anna Kournikova by Susan Holden (2001)
*Anna Kournikova (Women Who Win) by Connie Berman

==External links==
*http://www.kournikova.com/ Official web site
*wta|id=110375|name=Anna Kournikova
*http://www.kournikova.com/journal/ Her weblog
*http://members.fortunecity.com/basketball_galore/
kournikova/ Anna Kournikova Picture Gallery!
*http://www.anna-kournikova-screensaver.com/ Anna
Kournikova Screensaver
*http://www.honeyjew.co.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?
album=41 Large Anna Kournikova Picture Gallery
*http://www.annasquare.com/ Annasquare - Anna
Kournikova news, pictures, posters and forum
*http://www.kournikovaimages.com/ Anna Kournikova
Images Database, latest news, community, calendar
and more
*http://www.detnews.com/2003/wings/0303/03/wings-9
9047.htm/ Fedorov admits marriage to Kournikova