Anna began playing tennis at the age of 5 with friends in a weekly children's sports program. On February of 1992 she moved to the Tennis Academy in Bradenton,
Florida to be with her coach, Nick Bollettieri. Anna dominated in her junior competitions. She was ranked #1 as the ITF Junior World Champion in 1995. She also
won the Orange Bowl, the 1995 European Championships, and the 1995 Italian Open Juniors.

Anna now competes in all the major tournaments. Even though she has not won a title yet, she is one of today's greatest players. Anna is well known for her playing in
Wimbeldon, where she reached the semi-finals and recieved her highest rank: 25.

Anna Kournikova is now seeking citizenship in the U.S. She continues to win matches and improve on her game. She will definitely be one of the greatest players in the
game of tennis.

Anna Kournikova was born in a Moscow suburb to the mother, Ala and father, a former Greco-Roman wrestler, Sergei Kournikova.
They moved to Bollettieri's Bradenton academy when she was only nine. She grew up surrounded by wealth and beauty, and was
very much secluded from the outside world. Growing up for Anna has been particularly difficult, with great expectations and
pressure from the media and herself. Any other 16-year-old might have just given up where Kournikova was only beginning - she
has the kind of determination that is essential to the modern sportsmen or women. But life as an adolescent has not been as alien to
her as it is to hoi polloi. On one occasion, she was asked to leave the academy after insulting some of the coaches. She vowed to
mend her ways, and started beating girls by as much as three years older than her at the Miami staged Orange Bowl. Three years
later, she secured a victory at the under 18 event in Miami, and afterwards burst out with a remark she could soon regret. She
attacked the way in which Venus and Serena Williams played tennis, and boasted her skill and superiority in the court. The results of
this year's Wimbledon could soon classify her as the over-ambitious tennis player, and the implications in her comment could
damage her image still further if she fails to live up to expectations. But one thing's for sure; whether she's playing tennis or not,
heads are turning all around the country in her presence. If she can't make it in the tennis court, she has a guaranteed place as a
model. Yonex and Adidas have already made offers, both of which were turned down, but undoubtedly would be available if she so
wished in the future. For many people all around the world, tennis has become the new sport to watch, and it will stay that way until
the likes of Anna Kournikova leave the court for good. But there will no doubt be the new tennis stars of the future, keen to be
exploited by the new-style tennis coaches, aimed at finding talent in children at a very early age. Watch this space. More to come.

Sexy Anna's Wimbledon adventure has carried on in style. She defeated Chanda Rubin of the USA in straight sets, and then went on
to play Brenda Rittner of Germany, where she defeated her 4-6, 7-6 (9-7tiebreak), 6-3. Anna's best result to date was in the third
round, where she beat Anke Huber, the seventh seed, 3-6 6-4 6-3. This was a great match as Huber was overcome by the young
Russian's strokes. This set up a fourth round date with the great veteran of the courts, Helena Sukova. Anna, quoted by the
Telegraph as the 'sexy little minx' is in the same group as Martina Hingis, and wouldn't it be great for the entire male population of
the world if those two met in the semi-finals! Anna is simply the crowd puller at Wimbledon, and she is the only reason why the
Beeb's telly ratings for Wimbledon are so, so high this year. 12.5 million last Sunday!