What is Anna Kournikova net worth? Discover how the retired tennis star amassed $60 million through her career and lucrative endorsements.
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Anna Kournikova Net Worth
Anna Kournikova is a Russian-American retired professional tennis player with a net worth of $60 million. Although she never won a WTA singles title, her fame and popularity made her one of the most recognized female tennis players globally.
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Anna Kournikova Biography
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova Iglesias, born June 7, 1981 is a Russian model, television personality, and former professional tennis player. Her striking appearance and celebrity status made her one of the most recognized tennis stars globally. During her peak, her name became one of the most searched terms on Google, as fans sought images of her.
Although she never secured a singles title, Kournikova reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in the world in 2000. She found greater success in doubles, briefly holding the title of world No. 1. Partnering with Martina Hingis, she won Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 1999 and 2002, as well as the WTA Championships in 1999 and 2000. The duo famously referred to themselves as the “Spice Girls of Tennis.”
Kournikova retired from professional tennis in 2003 due to severe back and spinal issues, including a herniated disk. She currently resides in Miami Beach, Florida, and participated in occasional exhibitions and doubles matches for the St. Louis Aces in World TeamTennis until the team folded in 2011. Kournikova also served as a trainer on season 12 of the reality show The Biggest Loser, replacing Jillian Michaels, though she did not return for season 13. In addition to her work in tennis and television, she is a Global Ambassador for Population Services International’s “Five & Alive” program, which addresses health challenges faced by children under five and their families.
Early Life of Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova was born on June 7, 1981, in Moscow, Russia. Her father, Sergei Kournikov, a former Greco-Roman wrestling champion, later earned a PhD and became a professor at the University of Physical Culture and Sport in Moscow. As of 2001, he was also a part-time martial arts instructor. Her mother, Alla, was a 400-meter runner, and her younger half-brother, Allan, is a youth golf world champion featured in the 2013 documentary The Short Game.
Sergei Kournikov once remarked, “We were young and we liked the clean, physical life, so Anna was in a good environment for sport from the beginning.”
Anna received her first tennis racquet as a New Year gift in 1986 when she was just five years old. She described her early tennis experience, saying, “I played two times a week from age six. It was a children’s program, just for fun; my parents didn’t know I would play professionally—they just wanted me to do something because I had lots of energy.” It wasn’t until she began showing talent at age seven that she moved to a professional academy.
In 1986, Kournikova joined the Spartak Tennis Club, where she was coached by Larissa Preobrazhenskaya. By 1989, at the age of eight, she started competing in junior tournaments, quickly attracting the attention of tennis scouts. At just ten years old, she signed a management deal and moved to Bradenton, Florida, to train at Nick Bollettieri’s renowned tennis academy
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Early Career of Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova quickly gained popularity on the tennis scene after her arrival in the U.S. At the age of 14, she achieved significant milestones by winning both the Italian Open junior tournament and the European Championships.
In 1995, she became the youngest player to win the Junior Orange Bowl tournament and was crowned the ITF Junior World Champion.
Still at 14, Kournikova made her debut in the WTA Tour and also participated in the Fed Cup for Russia, becoming the youngest player ever to compete and win a match. In 1996, she started a six-year tenure with a new coach, Ed Nagel, which would lead to her most successful results.
Kournikova earned a spot on the Russian team for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. She entered the 1997 Australian Open with a world ranking of No. 67. During the US Open that year, she faced eventual champion Martina Hingis, marking another step in her burgeoning career.
Playing Style
Anna Kournikova is a right-handed player known for her two-handed backhand. She excels at the net, combining powerful groundstrokes with effective drop shots. Her playing style is well-suited for doubles, enhanced by her height, and she has drawn comparisons to renowned doubles specialists like Pam Shriver and Peter Fleming.
Personal Life
Kournikova was previously in a relationship with NHL ice hockey player Pavel Bure. They met in 1999 while Kournikova was still linked to Bure’s former teammate, Sergei Fedorov. In 2000, rumors of an engagement surfaced after a photograph of them together in a Florida restaurant led to speculation, but both denied the claims. At the time, Kournikova was just 18, ten years younger than Bure.
Fedorov claimed to have married Kournikova in 2001, with a subsequent divorce in 2003. However, Kournikova’s representatives denied any marriage, while Fedorov’s agent suggested that he was aware of the marriage but didn’t know the specifics.
In late 2001, Kournikova began dating singer Enrique Iglesias after appearing in his music video for “Escape.” The couple has three children: fraternal twins, a son and daughter, born on December 16, 2017, and another daughter born on January 30, 2020.
In 2010, it was reported that Kournikova had become a naturalized American citizen.
Tennis Career
1989–1997: Early Years and Breakthrough
Following her arrival in the United States, Anna Kournikova became prominent on the tennis scene. At the age of 14, she won the European Championships and the Italian Open Junior tournament. In December 1995, she became the youngest player to win the 18-and-under division of the Junior Orange Bowl tennis tournament.
By the end of the year, Kournikova was crowned the ITF Junior World Champion U-18 and Junior European Champion U-18.
Earlier, in September 1995, Kournikova, still only 14 years of age, debuted in the WTA Tour when she received a wildcard into the qualifications at the WTA tournament in Moscow, the Moscow Ladies Open.
She qualified before losing in the second round of the main draw to third-seeded Sabine Appelmans. She also reached her first WTA Tour doubles final in that debut appearance—partnering with 1995 Wimbledon girls’ champion in both singles and doubles, Aleksandra Olsza, she lost the title match to Meredith McGrath and Larisa Savchenko-Neiland.
In February–March 1996, Kournikova won two ITF titles in Midland, Michigan, and Rockford, Illinois. Still only 14 years of age, in April 1996, she debuted at the Fed Cup for Russia, becoming the youngest player ever to participate and win a match.
In 1996, she started playing under a new coach, Ed Nagel. Her six-year association with Nagel was successful. At 15, she made her Grand Slam debut, reaching the fourth round of the 1996 US Open, losing to Steffi Graf, the eventual champion.
After this tournament, Kournikova’s ranking jumped from No. 144 to debut in the Top 100 at No. 69. Kournikova was a member of the Russian delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1996, she was named WTA Newcomer of the Year and was ranked No. 57 by the end of the season.
Kournikova entered the 1997 Australian Open as world No. 67, where she lost in the first round to world No. 12, Amanda Coetzer. At the Italian Open, Kournikova lost to Coetzer in the second round.
She reached the semi-finals in doubles, partnering with Elena Likhovtseva, before losing to the sixth seeds Mary Joe Fernández and Patricia Tarabini. At the French Open, Kournikova made it to the third round before losing to world No. 1, Martina Hingis.
She also reached the third round in doubles with Likhovtseva. At the Wimbledon Championships, Kournikova became only the second woman in the open era to reach the semi-finals in her Wimbledon debut, the first being Chris Evert in 1972. There, she lost to eventual champion Martina Hingis.
At the US Open, she lost in the second round to the eleventh seed Irina Spîrlea. Partnering with Likhovtseva, she reached the third round of the women’s doubles event. Kournikova played her last WTA Tour event of 1997 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt, losing to Amanda Coetzer in the second round of singles and in the first round of doubles to Lindsay Davenport and Jana Novotná while partnering with Likhovtseva.
She broke into the top 50 on May 19 and was ranked No. 32 in singles and No. 41 in doubles at the end of the season.
1998–2000: Success and Stardom
In 1998, Kournikova broke into the WTA’s top 20 rankings for the first time, when she was ranked No. 16. At the Australian Open, Kournikova lost in the third round to world No. 1 player, Martina Hingis.
She also partnered with Larisa Savchenko-Neiland in women’s doubles, and they lost to eventual champions Hingis and Mirjana Lučić in the second round. Although she lost in the second round of the Paris Open to Anke Huber in singles, Kournikova reached her second doubles WTA Tour final, partnering with Savchenko-Neiland.
They lost to Sabine Appelmans and Miriam Oremans. Kournikova and Savchenko-Neiland reached their second consecutive final at the Linz Open, losing to Alexandra Fusai and Nathalie Tauziat. At the Miami Open, Kournikova reached her first WTA Tour singles final, before losing to Venus Williams in the final.
Kournikova then reached two consecutive quarterfinals at Amelia Island and the Italian Open, losing respectively to Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis. At the German Open, she reached the semi-finals in both singles and doubles, partnering with Savchenko-Neiland.
At the French Open, Kournikova had her best result at this tournament, making it to the fourth round before losing to Jana Novotná. She also reached her first Grand Slam doubles semi-finals, losing with Savchenko-Neiland to Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva.
During her quarterfinal match at the grass-court Eastbourne Open versus Steffi Graf, Kournikova injured her thumb, which would eventually force her to withdraw from the 1998 Wimbledon Championships. However, she won that match but then withdrew from her semi-finals match against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.
Kournikova returned for the Du Maurier Open and made it to the third round, before losing to Conchita Martínez. At the US Open, Kournikova reached the fourth round before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Her strong year qualified her for the year-end 1998 WTA Tour Championships, but she lost to Monica Seles in the first round. However, with Seles, she won her first WTA doubles title in Tokyo, beating Mary Joe Fernández and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the final. At the end of the season, she was ranked No. 10 in doubles.
At the start of the 1999 season, Kournikova advanced to the fourth round in singles at the Australian Open before losing to Mary Pierce. In doubles, Kournikova won her first Grand Slam title, partnering with Martina Hingis to defeat Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva in the final. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup, Kournikova reached her second WTA Tour final, but lost to Hingis.
She then defeated Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, and Patty Schnyder on her route to the Bausch & Lomb Championships semi-finals, losing to Ruxandra Dragomir. At the French Open, Kournikova reached the fourth round before losing to eventual champion Steffi Graf. Once the grass-court season commenced in England, Kournikova lost to Nathalie Tauziat in the semi-finals in Eastbourne.
At Wimbledon, Kournikova lost to Venus Williams in the fourth round. She also reached the final in mixed doubles, partnering with Jonas Björkman, but they lost to Leander Paes and Lisa Raymond. Kournikova again qualified for the year-end WTA Tour Championships but lost to Mary Pierce in the first round, and ended the season as World No. 12.
While Kournikova had a successful singles season, she was even more successful in doubles. After their victory at the Australian Open, she and Hingis won tournaments in Indian Wells, Rome, Eastbourne, and the WTA Tour Championships, and reached the final of the French Open, where they lost to Serena and Venus Williams.
Partnering with Elena Likhovtseva, Kournikova also reached the final in Stanford. On November 22, 1999, she reached the world No. 1 ranking in doubles and ended the season at this ranking. Kournikova and Hingis were presented with the WTA Award for Doubles Team of the Year.
Kournikova opened her 2000 season by winning the Gold Coast Open doubles tournament, partnering with Julie Halard. She then reached the singles semi-finals at the Medibank International Sydney, losing to Lindsay Davenport.
At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round in singles and the semi-finals in doubles. That season, Kournikova reached eight semi-finals (Sydney, Scottsdale, Stanford, San Diego, Luxembourg, Leipzig, and Tour Championships), seven quarterfinals (Gold Coast, Tokyo, Amelia Island, Hamburg, Eastbourne, Zürich, and Philadelphia), and one final.
On November 20, 2000, she broke into the top 10 for the first time, reaching No. 8. She was also ranked No. 4 in doubles at the end of the season. Kournikova was once again more successful in doubles, winning six titles—Gold Coast (with Julie Halard), Hamburg (with Natasha Zvereva), Filderstadt, Zürich, Philadelphia, and the Tour Championships (with Hingis).
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2001–2003: Injuries and Final Years
Her 2001 season was plagued by injuries, including a left foot stress fracture that made her withdraw from 12 tournaments, including the French Open and Wimbledon. She underwent surgery in April. Kournikova reached her second career Grand Slam quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
She then withdrew from several events due to continuing problems with her left foot and did not return until Leipzig. With Barbara Schett, she won the doubles title in Sydney. She then lost in the finals in Tokyo, partnering with Iroda Tulyaganova, and at San Diego, partnering with Hingis. Hingis and Kournikova also won the Kremlin Cup. At the end of the 2001 season, she was ranked No. 74 in singles and No. 26 in doubles.
In 2002, Kournikova regained some success. She reached the semi-finals of Auckland, Tokyo, Acapulco, and San Diego, and the final of the China Open, losing to Anna Smashnova. This was Kournikova’s last singles final. With Martina Hingis, she lost in the final at Sydney but won their second Grand Slam title together at the Australian Open.
They also lost in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Partnering with Chanda Rubin, Kournikova played the semi-finals of Wimbledon, but they lost to Serena and Venus Williams. Partnering with Janet Lee, she won the Shanghai title. At the end of the 2002 season, she was ranked No. 35 in singles and No. 11 in doubles.
In 2003, Anna Kournikova achieved her first Grand Slam match victory in two years at the Australian Open. She defeated Henrieta Nagyová in the first round and then lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the second round.
She withdrew from Tokyo due to a sprained back suffered at the Australian Open and did not return to the Tour until Miami. On April 9, in what would be the final WTA match of her career, Kournikova dropped out in the first round of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston due to a left adductor strain. Her singles world ranking was 67.
She reached the semi-finals at the ITF tournament in Sea Island before withdrawing from a match versus Maria Sharapova due to the adductor injury. She lost in the first round of the ITF tournament in Charlottesville and did not compete for the rest of the season due to a continuing back injury. At the end of the 2003 season and her professional career, she was ranked No. 305 in singles and No. 176 in doubles.
Kournikova’s two Grand Slam doubles titles came in 1999 and 2002, both at the Australian Open in the Women’s Doubles event with partner Martina Hingis. Kournikova proved to be a successful doubles player on the professional circuit, winning 16 tournament doubles titles, including two Australian Opens and being a finalist in mixed doubles at the US Open and at Wimbledon, and reaching the No. 1 ranking in doubles in the WTA Tour rankings.
Her pro career doubles record was 200–71. However, her singles career plateaued after 1999. For the most part, she managed to retain her ranking between 10 and 15 (her career high singles ranking was No. 8), but her expected finals breakthrough failed to occur; she only reached four finals out of 130 singles tournaments, never in a Grand Slam event, and never won one.
Her singles record is 209–129. Her final playing years were marred by a string of injuries, especially back injuries, which caused her ranking to erode gradually. As a personality, Kournikova was among the most common search strings for both articles and images in her prime.
2004–Present: Exhibitions and World Team Tennis
Kournikova has not played on the WTA Tour since 2003 but still participates in exhibition matches for charitable causes. In late 2004, she participated in three events organized by Elton John and fellow tennis players Serena Williams and Andy Roddick.
In January 2005, she played in a doubles charity event for the Indian Ocean tsunami with John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, and Chris Evert. In November 2005, she teamed up with Martina Hingis, playing against Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur in the WTT finals for charity. Kournikova is also a member of the St. Louis Aces in World Team Tennis (WTT), playing doubles only.
In September 2008, Kournikova participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon held at Zuma Beach in Malibu, California, which raised funds for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She won that race for the women’s K-Swiss team. On September 27, 2008, Kournikova played exhibition mixed doubles matches in Charlotte, North Carolina, partnering with Tim Wilkison and Karel Nováček. Kournikova and Wilkison defeated Jimmy Arias and Chanda Rubin, and then Kournikova and Novacek defeated Rubin and Wilkison.
On October 12, 2008, Anna Kournikova played one exhibition match for the annual charity event hosted by Billie Jean King and Elton John, raising more than $400,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund. She played doubles with Andy Roddick (they were coached by David Chang) against Martina Navratilova and Jesse Levine (coached by Billie Jean King); Kournikova and Roddick won.
Kournikova was one of “four former world No. 1 players” who participated in “Legendary Night,” held on May 2, 2009, at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona, New York, alongside John McEnroe, Tracy Austin, and Jim Courier.
The exhibition included a mixed doubles match in which McEnroe and Kournikova defeated Courier and Austin.
In 2008, she was named a spokesperson for K-Swiss. In 2005, Kournikova stated that if she were 100% fit, she would like to come back and compete again.
In June 2010, Kournikova reunited with her doubles partner Martina Hingis to participate in competitive tennis for the first time in seven years in the Invitational Ladies Doubles event at Wimbledon. On June 29, 2010, they defeated the British pair Samantha Smith and Anne Hobbs.
Media Publicity
Anna Kournikova gained significant media attention throughout her career, becoming a prominent figure both on and off the tennis court.
- Brand Endorsements: In 2000, she became the face of Berlei’s shock absorber sports bras, featuring in the “only the ball should bounce” billboard campaign. She also had a minor role in the Farrelly brothers’ film Me, Myself & Irene (2000), starring Jim Carrey and Renée Zellweger.
- Magazine Covers: Kournikova’s image graced the covers of various publications, including men’s magazines. Notably, she was featured in the 2004 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, posing in bikinis and swimsuits, as well as in FHM and Maxim.
- Recognition: She was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 1998 and was voted the “hottest female athlete” on ESPN.com. In 2002, Kournikova topped FHM‘s 100 Sexiest Women in the World in both the US and UK editions. However, ESPN also ranked her 18th in its “25 Biggest Sports Flops of the Past 25 Years,” citing the disparity between her media hype and actual singles accomplishments.
- Search Popularity: Despite retiring from professional tennis, Kournikova remained the most searched athlete online until 2008. She dropped to sixth place in 2009 but climbed back to third in 2010.
- Television Appearances: In October 2010, Kournikova appeared on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, leading a tennis workout challenge, and later joined the show as a regular celebrity trainer in season 12.
Legacy and Influence on Popular Culture
- Culinary Reference: A variation of the White Russian cocktail made with skim milk is known as an “Anna Kournikova.”
- Video Game: Kournikova’s likeness was featured in the video game Anna Kournikova’s Smash Court Tennis, developed by Namco and released for the PlayStation in Japan and Europe in November 1998.
- Computer Virus: A computer virus named after her spread worldwide beginning on February 12, 2001, infecting computers through email in a matter of hours.
Kournikova’s influence extended beyond tennis, cementing her status as a cultural icon
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