My Thought: Anna Kournikova

Today, I learn about Anna Kournikova. (See the clip posted below.) I want to know more about the player in the past, and what lesson could I take from them. I think Anna Kournikova is an interesting figure for aspiring junior tennis players to know and to learn from.

Anna Kournikova was an amazing Russian professional women's tennis player before she retired. She had the tactics, patterns for play. She played well winning a lot of matches in the beginning of her professional career. Anna was an inspiration for many young tennis players. Many people around the world adored her for her tennis and her on court persona. But in the midst of her professional tennis career, something got in the way of her tennis passion.

Anna Kournikova - Wikimedia Commons

Anna had many wins in the beginning of her professional career; yet, she never won a singles title. The highest ranking she had gotten to was #8 in the world despite no singles titles to her name.  However, she had more success in doubles teaming up with Martina Hingis. They won Australian Open title in 1999 and 2002; WTA Championships in 1999 and 2000. So, she was not a typical player, but the tennis world expected more from her.

​A few years later she started losing a lot more often. She stopped improving and couldn't reach deep in her heart to keep on going with tennis. She got distracted with other stuff such as photo shoots, commercials, reality shows, etc. By then she wasn't fully dedicated to tennis and her own improvement. Her focus on tennis became less and less to the central point of her life. We couldn't know the entire story, but she quit tennis. And, maybe she also quit tennis because of a back injury. She retired at age 21.  

Kournikova & Hingis - Wikimedia Commons

I feel that tennis had given Kournikova the life she wanted after tennis. She used her fame from tennis to continue working in television, helping children and families, and occasionally playing in exhibition matches. I just wonder what if she didn't have to retire from tennis but continue to push on. Would her life be any different? Would she had won a Grand Slam; a world #1? I don't know for sure, but I feel that Anna didn't LOVE tennis enough to push through her difficulty and struggle as an athlete when she was in her prime. Having watched the documentary below, I feel Anna missing piece of true love of tennis wasn't really in her to begin with. Anna professional tennis career, I believe, was an accidental love that she just had to let go, and move on.

Just my thoughts; what do you think about Anna?
​Karina Zaharieva