Popularly known as Anna Kournikova, the semi retired professional Russian tennis player Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova was born on 7 June 1981. She is favourite among the male fans for her celebrity status. Kournikova is of the most common search strings on the internet search engine Google.

Kournikova is famous for her doubles, where she has at times been the world’s number one-ranked player. She along with Martina Hingis has won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002. Kournikova’s major-league tennis career ended, by serious back and spinal problems. Born in Moscow in the former Soviet Union to she along

with her mother immigrated to the United States. Currently, she resides in Miami Beach, Florida. Anna’s father, Sergei Kournikov was was a former Greco-Roman wrestling champion who also had a Ph.D and was a professor at the University of Physical Culture and Sport in Moscow.

In 1986, Anna joined the prestigious Spartak Tennis Club. She at the age of 8 in1989 began appearing in junior tournaments, and by the following year, was attracting attention from tennis scouts across the world. After arriving in the United States, Anna exploded onto the tennis scene. She won the European Championships and the Italian Open Junior tournament. She became youngest player ever to win the 18 and under division at that tournament. Anna Kournikova made her debut in professional tennis at age 14 in the Fed Cup. Kournikova was a member of the Russian delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia and was named WTA Newcomer of the Year[, and was ranked No. 57 in the end of the season.

Kournikova has not taken part on the WTA Tour since 2003, but still plays exhibition matches for charitable causes. She is the current K-Swiss spokesperson.

In a feature for ELLE magazine’s July 2005 issue, Kournikova stated that if she were 100% fit, she would like to come back and compete again.

Kournikova was noted for her foot speed and aggressive baseline play. She holds racket in her right hand but uses both hands while playing backhand shots. She is often compared to doubles specialists as Pam Shriver and Peter Fleming.

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Martina Hingis, the retired professional tennis player was born in on September 30, 1980 in KoÅ¡ice, Czechoslovakia. She holds the record of spending a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. Hingis has won five Grand Slam singles titles including three Australian Open, one Wimbledon, and one US Open. She also won nine Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, winning a calendar year Grand Slam in 1998, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title.

Hingis had to withdraw from tennis at a young age because of ligament injuries in both ankles. She quit professional tennis in 2002 at the age of 22. After several surgeries and long

recuperations, Hingis returned to the WTA tour in 2006, then to climb to World No. 6 and won three singles titles. On November 1, 2007, again after suffering from injuries for much of the year, she retired. On January 4, 2008, she was banned from tennis for two years for the cocaine offence.

Hingis was born to to a Czech mother and a Hungarian father. Hingis took up tennis at a young age. Hingis began playing tennis when she was two years old and entered her first tournament at age four. In 1993, 12-year-old Hingis became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam junior title. She entered into professional tennis in October 1994 and became the youngest player to win a match at a Grand Slam tournament when she advanced to the second round of the Australian Open.

In 1996, Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon champion. Hingis became the World No. 1 women’s tennis player in 1997. In that year, the only Grand Slam singles title that she failed to win was the French Open. She lost in the final to Iva Majoli. In 2003 Hingis announced her retirement from tennis. In her career, Hingis has won 40 singles titles and 36 doubles events

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