Despite never reaching a final of a grand slam singles tournament, the Russian was in such demand she was the highest-earning female player in But since quitting the game in , aged just 21, due to back problems, s he has become something of a recluse, living behind 16ft walls at the beach-front mansion in Miami she shares with her pop star partner Enrique Iglesias and their three children. So it came as a shock to fans this week, to see Anna photographed in public for the first time in nearly three years.
And it seems the year-old has not shaken off the injuries that prevented her career on court reaching its full potential. Anna was spotted at Bal Harbour in Miami being pushed along in a wheelchair by family and friends, with her right foot clad in an orthopaedic boot. At the peak of her fame, she could not go anywhere without being photographed, and could not chat to a man without being romantically linked to him.
And her reluctance to go out in public is understandable, given that a stalker once tried to get on to her property. It was becoming a mum to twins Nicholas and Lucy in December that truly sealed her move away from public view. Having seen every part of her life pored over as a teenager , Anna did not announce their birth until a full month later.
They include a cute video of her three children driving a toy red Range Rover around the tennis court at her house. She wears a huge sparkly ring on her wedding finger and calls herself Anna Kournikova Iglesias on her Instagram page. Enrique once referred to Anna as his wife. She was the first of the Russian women to make it big on the tennis circuit, paving the way for stars such as Maria Sharapova.
When Anna was five, her mum Alla sold her television in order to buy he girl a tennis racket — and within five years she had secured a place at a prestigious academy in Florida. She turned professional aged 14 and the following year reached the fourth round of the US Open, losing to eventual champion Steffi Graf.
