Anna Kournikova

The brief motel scene

Anna Kournikova appears for barely a minute in the movie Me, Myself & Irene. It was 2000 and her face already generated more online buzz than the Farrelly brothers' own premiere. That foray into film was not aimed at a career as a method actress, since her priority remained on the tennis court.

It was a purely commercial move.

In the late nineties her name worked like an algorithm before we knew what an algorithm was. In 1997 she reached the Wimbledon semifinals at just 16 years old. But the sports press soon got overtaken by the society press.

The ranking paradox

She never won a WTA singles title. Her critics often repeat this fact to downplay her time in professional sports. But in doubles, the story was different. She formed a deadly partnership with Martina Hingis, and together they won the Australian Open in 1999 and 2002.

She reached world No. 1 in doubles and her ability to attract sponsors surpassed that of any other player on the tour.

And the market responded with astronomical figures.

Racket and sportswear brands signed multimillion-dollar contracts that depended not on her trophies but on her image. In 2001, she filmed the music video for the song Escape with Enrique Iglesias. That shoot changed the course of her private life and moved her away from the spotlight in Moscow to settle her in Miami.

The forced farewell and television

Back injuries started taking their toll in 2003. She was only 22 years old when her body said enough. There was no official farewell with big speeches (she simply stopped showing up in tournament draws). Professional tennis demands iron health, and her spine couldn't keep up with the pace of elite competition.

In 2011 she attempted a media comeback as a coach on the show The Biggest Loser.

The experience lasted only one season. Producers were after the impact of her name, but the format's dynamics didn't fit her private lifestyle. In the years that followed she stayed away from television cameras and film sets.

In 2017, she welcomed twins Nicholas and Lucy. In 2020, her third daughter, Mary, was born. She keeps a low profile on social media and avoids in-depth interviews about her sports career. She lives on a private island in Miami, where security is the absolute priority.

Her last appearance at an official sporting event was a charity exhibition more than a decade ago.