How Anna Kournikova went from tennis pin-up to recluse after retiring at 21 for quiet life with pop star heart-throb
ANNA KOURNIKOVA appeared to have it all.
The successful tennis career. The multi-million-pound sponsorship deals.
The dazzling supermodel good looks. The perfect blonde hair to match.
And the pop-star partner.
She was, without doubt, one of the biggest stars in the world.
So much so that she was still the most Googled athlete on the planet five years after retiring.
But she traded in life in the public spotlight for a quiet one in private, perfectly content with her close network of friends and family – including her three children.
TEENAGE SENSATION
Born in Moscow in 1981, Kournikova did not take long to show potential and aged ten joined the prestigious Nick Bollettieri academy in Florida which boasts Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters among its star-studded alumni.
She turned pro at just 14 and made her Wimbledon debut in 1997, reaching the semi-finals on debut, losing to Martina Hingis.
That was her best Grand Slam result but she teamed up with Hingis to win two Australian Open doubles titles together in 1999 and 2002.
The superstar pairing were the darlings of their sport and were dubbed the ‘Spice Girls of tennis’.
Kournikova in particular proved a major smash hit with fans who clambered to watch her play – and not just for her forehands and backhands.
RICH & FAMOUS
The glamorous Russian – who reached No8 in the world in singles but No1 in doubles – was inundated with sponsorship deals with the likes of adidas, Omega and Berlei, for whom she became the face of the shock absorber sports bras.
It is telling that she is said to be worth £40million ($50m) – yet her on-court earnings amounted to £2.8m.
Her tennis career, many would accept, underdelivered compared to the hype and media attention she received leading to unwanted tags of “sport’s biggest flop” and “most overrated athlete”.
But Kournikova’s appeal far transcended tennis.
She was crowned the “hottest female athlete” by ESPN and came first in FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World – beating Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears to top spot.
Photoshoots, catwalks and modelling became regular activities as she graced the front covers of various magazines, including FHM and a stunning Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
She enjoyed a cameo in iconic sitcom Friends plus appeared in Me, Myself and Irene alongside Jim Carrey.
And Anna Kournikova was so famous in culture that she had both a cocktail – a variation on a White Russian made with skimmed milk – and a computer virus named after her in 2001.
EARLY RETIREMENT
But the unrelenting, constant scrutiny and attention certainly took its toll.
As did injuries – a left foot stress fracture, abductor issues and back problems.
So much so that Kournikova made the shock decision to retire in May 2003, aged just 21 and after just eight years as a pro.
She hung up her racquet with 16 doubles titles to her name – plus finals in the French Open doubles and both Wimbledon and US Open mixed.
Kournikova, who played in some exhibitions and charity matches in the years soon after quitting, said: “Being in the spotlight since I was a child was really hard.
“I did feel pressure when people were saying things like, ‘You’re too pretty, you can’t play,’ or whatever.
“I would get so nervous and get anxiety on the court, I wouldn’t be able to move.”
In 2005, two years after retiring, Kournikova was targeted in a “frightening and scary” ordeal which saw a stalker swim naked to what he thought was her Miami home in an attempt to get her to save him from drowning.
William Lepeska – who actually swam to the wrong house – had a tattoo of her on his arm and bombarded her with sexually explicit letters and emails.
Kournikova hired bodyguards and increased the security at her house and said in court: “I was absolutely shocked and fearful, and I was very much concerned for my safety.
“It was very frightening and scary… just knowing there is someone out there who’s obsessive.”
CELEBRITY COUPLE
By the time the star called time on her tennis career, Kournikova had been dating Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias for around 18 months and appeared in his music video for Escape.
The tennis ace had previously been with Russian NHL ice hockey player Pavel Bure and reportedly went out with Bure’s team-mate Sergei Fodorov – despite a ten-year age gap.
Fedorov claimed he married Kournikova in 2001 and they divorced in 2003 – although that allegation has always been denied on her side.
Ironically, it remains unclear whether she has tied the knot with pop star Iglesias or not.
Both are cryptically coy on the matter despite being happily together for more than 20 years, living in Miami.
Iglesias, son of Spanish musical icon Julio, said in 2022: “We haven’t gotten married in public, that doesn’t mean we are not married.
“We have been together for such a long time, for half of our lives.”
Kournikova, meanwhile, insists “marriage isn’t important to me” but now goes by Anna Kournikova Iglesias, wears a diamond ring and matching eternity band as of 2017 and has been introduced as his “wife” by Iglesias at a 2011 concert in Russia.
FAMILY FIRST
But regardless of their marital status, Anna and Enrique are clearly loving life together.
They welcomed twins Nicolas and Lucy in December 2017 before another daughter Mary arrived in January 2020.
The family live in a 20,000 sq ft beachfront Miami pad and had two dogs – a German Shepherd Max and a chocolate Labrador Chessie – plus a tennis court in the garden, showing Kournikova still loves the sport despite her premature retirement.
Kournikova used to be very active on social media, regularly posting snaps and videos of her relaxed life out of the limelight for her 1.9m Instagram followers.
However, these have dried up almost completely now.
She has not posted a photo of herself online since May 2022 – an adorable family photo to mark Iglesias’ birthday – and her only upload since then was a Father’s Day message for him in June 2024.
Iglesias released his 12th studio album, Final Vol 2, in 2024 but Kournikova seems to prefer her reclusive lifestyle.
I love being a mum, I love taking care of people – I want to devote all my time to children, being with them is happiness
Anna Kournikova
She said: “I love being a mum. I absolutely wanted to have children, whether I had my own or adopted. I love taking care of people.”
“When I got pregnant, I reduced the workload, and realised I want to devote all my time to children.
“Being with them is happiness, I am not ready to miss a single second.
“My typical day is getting up at 6.30am. We have breakfast, walk with a stroller. The twins have just started walking.
“While they sleep, I do yoga or Pilates.
“From noon housework begins and by 8pm I am usually exhausted on the sofa.”
But Iglesias suggested there is more activity later in the evening, candidly revealing: “It’s probably more sex now than ever. The sex has not diminished.”
Then suddenly out of the blue in January 2025, having not been seen for two years, Kournikova, 43, was pictured being pushed in a wheelchair in Miami.
The ex-tennis star – wearing a black hoody, black joggers and sunglasses – had a protective boot on her foot as she was joined by friends and her daughters at the Bal Harbour shopping centre.
The shock sighting and rare photograph was a far cry from the global superstar heartthrob who dominated screens, magazine covers and advertising promos at the peak of her heyday at the turn of the century.