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 I know  you cannot get enough of Anna Kournikova, since she has retired from the tennis court, so I put together this collection of pictures. This Russian beauty has always been only a backhand away from making us actually drool, whether it was watching her play tennis or seeing her on... well anywhere. And besides, it gave me a good excuse to look at her pictures. And obviously, the same reason why you are here.

 To truly understand Anna Kournikova's underachievement on the tennis court, you must remember what first attracted the writers and cameras -- her athletic success. She made her pro debut in October 1995 at the age of 14. In 1997, as a 16-year-old, Kournikova became only the second woman in the Open Era to reach the semifinals in her Wimbledon debut. In 1998, she was the first Russian woman to be seeded at the U.S. Open in 22 years. Also in 1998, she beat Steffi Graf in the quarterfinals at Eastbourne. At that point, she became one of only eight players ever to have defeated Martina Hingis and Graf. Kournikova's singles career peaked in 1998, when she went 40-19.

  So when exactly did Kournikova become less of a tennis player and more of a pop icon? Aside from being ranked among the top women of tennis in the world, Anna took on some modeling and sponsorship contracts that made her face a billboard commodity. Perhaps the most heavily sponsored and marketed female athlete in sports, Anna always attracted flashbulbs everywhere she went, whether it was making headlines with her latest beaus, or making music videos and calendars. Anna had endorsements by big names such as Adidas, Omega, Yonex, Berlei (the famous sports bra), and Lycos (who named Anna the most popular athlete on the Internet, which moved Michael Jordan to the number 2 spot). Anna has certainly come a long way from the days when her parents could hardly afford to buy her a tennis racket.

  The real beef everyone always had with Kournikova -- was that she got too much attention and money for someone who had never won a singles event, but... each tournament she entered, were always sure to use her likeness to sell tickets. Networks and Internet sites would go to any length to use her image. So what was really fair? That everyone was making money by promoting a winless player? I don't think so. As for young girls looking up to her, Kournikova in her tennis time, was an athletic 5-foot-8, 125-pound beauty. Is that such a bad role model?

  Some critics asked: How can someone who has never reached the top of her sport receive so much press and attention? Anna, who was once ranked the 14th best female tennis player in the world, has done more magazines than players who were ranked from
1 to 13. She had never won a major singles tournament, but yet she was always among the best in the world. Has anyone ever looked better in tennis shorts? Perhaps Serena?
... I don't think so. Her accomplishments (compared to other top players) were paltry, but her fame was incredible. Tournaments that didnn't feature her would have 30% less attendance. Her matches were always sold-out, and although her ranking didn't merit it, she often dislodged better ranked players from center court to a minor court, so Anna could have central stage and because people wanted to see her. Our sole purpose for watching tennis was to see Anna Kournikova. Today, TV ratings for womens tennis have dropped, just as our chins did watching her ... well ...you get the picture. And, so that is why the pictures are here, when we need that Anna fix, because withdrawl ...oooh, can be so hard. We'll miss you Anna Kournikova.

Disclaimer - All photos here of Anna Kournikova have been found on various websites on the internet and are believed to be public domain. If you hold the copyright for any photo found on this site please contact us and we will arrange to remove it.