Anna Kournikova, the former Russian tennis star, made her professional debut at age 14. She made her Grand Slam tournament debut at the US Open in 1996. However, Kournikova lost to Steffi Graf in the fourth round of that year’s US Open. Earlier, in one of her interviews, she revealed the kind of difficulties she had to go through in her birthplace, the Soviet Union.

Despite her rise to fame at a very young age, succeeding as a professional tennis player wasn’t a straightforward journey for her.

Anna Kournikova on her childhood difficulties and keeping her children away from it

Back in 2010, Anna Kournikova was invited to ‘The Graham Norton Show’. During the show, she was asked about the challenges she faced during her childhood in the Soviet Union. 

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The then 29-year-old retired star said, “And I moved to America from Russia. You know, I was born in Soviet Union, and I felt like. Because of me, my whole family moved to a different continent, and so I was supporting everybody, basically, which back then. I mean, I still had so much fun on the court, but looking back at it now, I would never do that to my kids.“

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Kournikova’s life on and off the court

The Russian tennis star has been in a relationship with the world-renowned singer Enrique Iglesias since 2001. The couple is blessed with three kids.

Talking about her on-court success, despite Kournikova’s lack of singles success, she did quite well in doubles, having won a few major championships. But unfortunately, she suffered a series of injuries that forced her to retire in 2003.

WATCH THE STORY: Feminist Serena Williams once lambasted fellow American player for his ugly tirade of words on Anna Kournikova never know what people go through

Fans once claimed that the 41-year-old was more interested in the limelight that she got from playing tennis. According to many, she apparently put much more time and effort into acting and modeling gigs than tennis. On the other side, there are other set of fans who have felt sorry for Kournikova and her promising career that was hampered by injuries.