The recent photos of Anna Kournikova in a wheelchair offer a glimpse into the life of the former tennis star who retired at 21 due to injuries. The article explores her journey from a highly publicized and often objectified athlete to a private mother focused on family life.
At the height of her fame, Anna Kournikova was one of the most photographed women in the world. Paparazzi were constantly chasing her, and she was often subjected to ignorant remarks about the supposed disparity between her looks and her talent. However, the recent photos of a wheelchair-bound Kournikova in Miami's affluent Bal Harbour tell a deeper story than a thousand glossy photoshoots ever could.
They offer a poignant reminder of the injury struggles that forced Kournikova, who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 8 and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1997, to retire at the young age of 21. These first photos of the reclusive 43-year-old in over two years, showing her wearing an orthopaedic boot while accompanied by her two young daughters, also depict a woman whose life has undergone a significant transformation since leaving the sporting world. They portray the former teenage prodigy as a mother and, by virtue of their rarity, suggest a more private, family-oriented life the reclusive Russian has embraced since the spotlight faded. Kournikova's personal life, once the subject of endless media speculation, to the point where she famously stated in Sports Illustrated, 'Every country I visit, I have a different boyfriend, and I kiss them all,' has long since ceased to be tabloid fodder. She has been in a relationship with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias since 2001, though the couple's marital status, as Iglesias cryptically remarked two years ago, 'We haven’t gotten married in public, but that doesn’t mean we are not married,' remains an enduring mystery. Kournikova and Iglesias share three children: fraternal twins Lucy and Nicholas, aged seven, and five-year-old Mary. Lucy and Mary accompanied their mother to Bal Harbour, while the entire family was last pictured together in May 2022, when Kournikova posted a picture of Iglesias's birthday celebrations on social media. Kournikova's desire for privacy, evident in the 16 ft walls that surround her family's home, is not merely a reaction to a life lived before the global gaze. In 2005, two years after her retirement, she was targeted by a stalker, William Lepeska, who swam naked across Biscayne Bay towards her house, hoping she would rescue him. Lepeska, who received a permanent restraining order requiring him to stay at least 1,000 ft away from Kournikova, actually swam to the wrong house. 'I was absolutely shocked and fearful and I was very much concerned for my safety,' Kournikova said after the incident, adding, 'It was very frightening and scary, just knowing there is someone out there who's obsessive.' Given the way she was portrayed during her teenage years, even being dubbed a 'teen sexpot' by Sports Illustrated at the age of 16, the incident was sadly predictable. By the time she was voted the world's sexiest woman by FHM in 2002, Kournikova had already gained notoriety for her appearance in a sports bra ad with the tagline: 'Only the ball should bounce.' She even inspired a computer virus, with an email attachment claiming to contain her image spreading rapidly in early 2001, earning her a mention in the penultimate season of Friends the following year. Despite the often-objectifying portrayal of her, Kournikova still managed to become the world's highest-paid female athlete, and her record would be the envy of many players.
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