Anna Kournikova

Anna Kournikova was born June 7, 1981 (Year of the Rooster), in Moscow, Russia. She left her homeland at the age of nine to join a Tennis Academy in Florida, known also for producing Monica Seles and Andre Agassi.

Anna turned professional in 1996 and competed in her first grand slam at the U.S. open that same year. She made a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon in 1997, and in 1998 defeated four top 10 players on her way to the final at the Lipton Championships.

In the olden days of the forties to sixties, tennis stars were just tennis stars, who always wore white, and if they were female, looked rather masculine. When somebody realized that there was money to be made, there were bouts between men and women, colored uniforms entered the courts, and the sport headed toward the direction of wrestling. It wasn't bad to be a little bit colorful, emotional, or gorgeous. More and more girls from many countries entered the field, and occasionally a glamours tennis star was also a good player.

Although solidly entrenched in tennis, Anna Kournikova's naturally glamourous looks have brought more attention to the sport. She has even indicated an interest in acting, that could soon be realized. More and more the celebrity star crosses the boundaries from her native sport to feature films, something that hiphop musicians have been doing for years.

Every so often, the athlete who turns model shows up as a corollary to the model who almost made it to the international stage as an athlete. A good example of the latter is Victoria Silvstedt, a model and a member of the Swedith National Ski Team. It is always a pleasure to encounter such an intelligent and disciplined athlete, who looks as good on the court or slopes as she does on stage.

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