Anna Kournikova
Aside from single-handedly making women's tennis popular again, Anna Kournikova is one of the most searched people on the internet thanks to her amazing looks. She proves that you don't need to be a star tennis player to be one of the most highly endorsed athletes, nor do you need killer tennis skills to have a deadly internet virus named after you.
Anna Kournikova (née Anya Kournikova) was born on
June 7, 1981, in Moscow, Russia, to Sergei and Alla. Her father, a
lecturer at the sports university in Moscow and a part-time tennis
coach, and mother, did not encourage Anna to play tennis for the
fame, but rather for the health benefits of the sport.
anna's early tennis days
Anna Kournikova's talent was first discovered when she played at a
weekly children's sports program at the age of 5, thanks to the
racket she received from her parents for Christmas. She started to
play and practice more often, in places such as Moscow's Soklniki
Park and the prestigious Spartak Tennis Club, despite the fact that
her family was far from wealthy.
While still in Moscow, Anna Kournikova's first tennis coach was
Larissa Preobraschenskaja, from 1985 to 1989. The budding tennis
player trained and practiced while studying at school. In 1992,
11-year-old Anna Kournikova moved to Florida with her mother to
attend Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Bradenton. The tennis
facilities made it easier for Anna Kournikova, who had to commute
from the gym to the tennis court to school while in Moscow.