Throughout its history, tennis has seen plenty of female players who are set on the path to fame from a very early age. Some have even won multiple grand slams in just their teenage years. With early fame also comes the glaring spotlight that might affect a player in a less than positive manner. One such player was Anna Kournikova. From her initial playing days, Kournikova faced a lot of backlash.

The Russian tennis player made her debut at the age of fourteen. She represented Russia in the Fed Cup at that time and at the age of 15, she competed in her first Grand Slam at the US Open in 1996. Young Kournikova advanced into the fourth round of the tournament and was defeated by Steffi Graf. 

Anna Kournikova struggled as a teenager

The Russian star once recalled her early tennis days and talked about the struggles she faced being a teenager. She also recollected the time her mother, Alla, tried to protect her but was wrongly understood. She said, “People didn’t really like her that much for that”. Even the young Kournikova who was trying to achieve a dream promised to guard her parents over the issues that didn’t even include them.

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She added it was hard for her at that time because she was just an ordinary 16-year-old girl. On the court success of the tennis player didn’t go well with her off-court fame and publicity. She said, “I was being pulled in every single direction. Really there was no guides or rules.”

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She recalled the time when she first played the Wimbledon at a very young age. She said, “My mum and me, we were just learning everything as we were going through it. I was here 15 years old, Wimbledon. I played a Centre Court match. I wasn’t even seeded or anything.”

Kournikova stumbles above the tennis court

The former tennis player didn’t have luck on or off the tennis court. She was constantly body shamed during the time she played tennis and was bashed by people around her.

However, after struggling with criticism and getting negative attention, the Russian tennis star rose to fame as a model and endorsed various brands. The 41-year-old retired after continuous injuries in 2003. 

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Despite not winning a singles grand slam in her whole tennis career, Kournikova has remained one of the most iconic female players of all time.