In 2002,CNNreported that Kournikova was bringing in a whopping $10 million per year in endorsements.
To put this number into perspective, Kournikova was out-earning top-ranked players likeVenus Williamsand Lindsay Davenport.
Considering that Kournikova herself had never won a Grand Slam, this accomplishment was truly impressive.
Although Kournikova was financially successful, her life was far from easy.
All in all, the tennis star arguably endured a tragic childhood, in spite of all her earnings.
She is partnered up with someone equally successful Latin pop star, Enrique Iglesias.
They have also purchased a $26 million mansion in Miami, as reported byFox News.
“Back then in the Soviet Union, we didn’t have that much entertainment, especially for kids.
Like, there was no video games.
There wasn’t even cellphones,” the tennis star told Jimmy Fallon (viaYouTube).
“We had five channels on TV.”
When Kournikova moved to Florida at the age of 9, her perspective changed.
The tennis star remembers struggling a lot with the financial pressure that was placed on her by family members.
On an episode of theGraham Norton Show, Kournikova admitted that those early years were challenging.
“And so, I was supporting everybody, basically.”
At the time, Kournikova accepted this pressure as a part of her reality.
Anna Kournikova, however, was a lone wolf from the time she was small.
This, of course, was not entirely by choice.
So, Anna, in that young life there, there was not too much social activity."
And, when that happens, you’re really not running your own ship."
So, I really never had the chance to develop Anna Kournikova’s strokes."
In the long run, this lack of training would come back to haunt Anna.
Starting at the age of 5, Kournikova was expected to play tennis for six hours every day.
“I didn’t go to prom either,” Kournikova revealed in the same interview.
“Because I was traveling [for tennis].”
Apparently, this upbringing has had a long-term impact on Kournikova’s personality.
In 1997 at her first Wimbledon tournament Kournikova made it to the semi-finals.
Making the moment even more special, Kournikova’s achievement represented a major upset.
After all, at the end of 1996, she was ranked number 57 for women’s tennis.
To make it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Kournikova had to defeat the No.
5 seeded player, Iva Majoli, in the quarter-finals.
Alas, this was not to be.
Unfortunately, though, she would never make it to the finals of a singles Grand Slam tournament.
Instead, she would spend the rest of her career fighting for a title that would never come.
Unfortunately, however, the media zeroed in on her looks more than her tennis performance.
Sadly, Silver was not the only one who blatantly disrespected Kournikova.
The British tabloids also objectified the teenager by snapping suggestive photos of her behind during her matches at Wimbledon.
“They ran all those photos of my butt,” Kournikova told Sports Illustrated at the time.
Apparently, as a young person, Kournikova often felt overwhelmed by the spotlight.
“Never tried to pay attention.
Most of it was made up,” she added in the same press conference.
“It’s hard,” Kournikova confessed.
1 tennis player in the world.
AsAnna Kournikova transformed into a more mature athlete, she also suffered several major injuries.
For an up-and-coming tennis star, this was disastrous.
Although she remained popular with fans and continued to win endorsements Kournikova was not satisfied with this.
Although she was just 21 years old, it was clear that Kournikova needed to retire.
Her body simply would not allow her to continue playing.
In a 2011 conversation withPeople, the athlete opened up about her reasons for stepping back from the sport.
“I never planned or thought that was going to be it.
My back really forced me to stop,” Kournikova confessed.
“It got so bad; I couldn’t tie my shoes, literally.
I would be in excruciating pain.
One would hope that most of Kournikova’s injuries would heal with time.
However, even as she got older, the tennis star continued to suffer from back pain.
“I have five different problems in my back,” she revealed.
“But, um, it never bothers me in normal life or when I’m just exercising.
Because of this, Kournikova has not been able to return to the tennis court in a professional context.
For years after her retirement, she remained popular enough to draw interest from fans across the globe.
Making matters even more complicated, the press appeared fascinated byAnna Kournikova’s romantic relationship with Enrique Iglesias.
Unsurprisingly, Kournikova considered this both annoying and invasive.
“It goes with the job, but it gets annoying when you feel violated.
Just take the picture and be done,” Kournikova said.
Of course, there is no controlling the paparazzi, and Kournikova’s pleas for respect likely went unheeded.
She is the mother of a son, Nicholas Iglesias, and two daughters, Lucy and Mary Iglesias.
She dedicates a considerable amount of time to philanthropic organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club.
She even did a stint on the “Biggest Loser.”
Even as Kournikova’s life evolved, the ghosts of her past came back to haunt her.
In 2010, her mother, Alla Kournikova, was arrested for child neglect.
The boy had apparently been left home alone while Alla went grocery shopping.
Alla ultimately pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three years probation.
She also was given 100 hours of community service.
