Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (; born 7 June 1981) is a Russian former professional tennis player and American television personality. Despite never winning a singles title, she reached No.8 in the world in 2000. She is the youngest player ever to participate in the Fed Cup for Russia, and the youngest ever to win a Grand Slam title in singles and doubles. She retired at the age of 21 due to serious back and spinal problems, including a herniated disk.
About Anna Kournikova in brief
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (; born 7 June 1981) is a Russian former professional tennis player and American television personality. Despite never winning a singles title, she reached No.8 in the world in 2000. She achieved greater success playing doubles, where she was at times the world No.1 player. She retired at the age of 21 due to serious back and spinal problems, including a herniated disk. She was a new trainer for season 12 of the television show The Biggest Loser, replacing Jillian Michaels, but did not return for season 13. In addition to her tennis and television work, she serves as a Global Ambassador for Population Services International’s \”Five & Alive\” program, which addresses health crises facing children under the ageof five and their families. She is the youngest player ever to participate in the Fed Cup for Russia, and the youngest ever to win a Grand Slam title in singles and doubles. Her appearance and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournkova made her name one of her most common search strings on Google Search. Her father was a former Greco-Roman wrestling champion and a professor at the University of Physical Culture and Sport in Moscow. Her mother Alla had been a 400-metre runner. Her younger half-brother, Allan, is a youth golf world champion who was featured in the 2013 documentary film The Short Game.
In December 1995, she became the youngest. player to win the 18-and-under division of the Junior Orange Bowl tennis tournament. By the end of the year, she was crowned the ITF Junior World Champion U-18 and Junior European Champion u-18. In 1996, she started playing under a new coach, Edel Nagel, and won two ITF titles in Midland, Michigan and Rockford, Illinois. Earlier, in September 1995, Kournakova, still at the Age of 14, debuted in the WTA Tour, when she received a wildcard into the qualifications at the Moscow Ladies Open, and played her way through the qualifying rounds before losing in the second round of the main draw to third-seeded Sabine Appelmans. There at the 1995 Wimbledon final, she lost the title match to Aleksandra Olsza-Neil and Larisa Savathandand. In February 1996, in Midlands, Michigan, she made her Grand Slam debut when she reached her fourth Grand Slam match. In April 1996, still only 14 years old, she debuted at the 1996 Fed Cup, the youngest Russian player to participate and win a match in a major tournament. In March 1996, at age 15, she won the European Championships and the Italian Open Junior tournament. She signed a management deal at age ten and went to Bradenton, Florida, to train at Nick Bollettieri’s celebrated tennis academy. At age 14, she played her first WTA tour match.
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