Anna Kournikova
Model, Tennis Player, Television Personality
Miami Connection
Kournikova reached her first WTA Tour singles final at the Miami Open, where she lost to Venus Williams. Her formative years in competitive tennis were developed in South Florida after moving to Bradenton at age 10 to train at Nick Bollettieri's academy, establishing the foundation for her professional career in the region.
About
Anna Sergeevna Kournikova was born June 7, 1981, in Moscow, Russia, and began playing tennis at age five. At age 10, she moved to Bradenton, Florida, to train at Nick Bollettieri's prestigious tennis academy, turning professional at just 14 years old. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 8 in 2000 and excelled in doubles, winning 16 titles including two Australian Open championships in 1999 and 2002 with partner Martina Hingis, reaching World No. 1 in doubles ranking in 1999. Persistent back and spine injuries led to her early retirement from professional tennis in 2003. Post-retirement, she has remained active through exhibition matches, charity events, and television work including as a trainer on 'The Biggest Loser,' while also serving as a Global Ambassador for Population Services International's 'Five & Alive' program.