Latest news with #Kournikova
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wimbledon star forced to borrow shorts from her coach after breaking strict rule
The All England Club has long had a strict dress code, and Wimbledon star Anna Kournikova famously fell foul of one of its rules It's not just on Centre Court where you can get in trouble for breaking strict dress code rules at Wimbledon - it can happen on the practice court too! Infamously, Anna Kournikova once had to borrow a pair of shorts from her coach during a practice session after violating the All England Club's strict dress code. At SW19, players are almost always required to wear all-white. There have of course been exceptions. For example, this year, players were allowed to wear black armbands to pay tribute to tragic Liverpool star Diogo Jota following his death on Thursday. But mostly, players have largely had to wear nothing but white on court down the years. And that's something which, before the 2002 tournament had even begun, Russia ace Kournikova fell foul of. At the time she was ranked No.54 in the world and was competing at SW19 for the final time in her career. But she found herself reprimanded for turning up to practice in a pair of black shorts. Before she could even step onto the court, Kournikova was sternly informed by tournament officials that she needed to change her attire. Unfortunately, she did not have a pair of white shorts on her person and had to resort to another option. Thus, she borrowed a pair from the legendary late coach Nick Bollettieri in order to comply with the rules and stay on court. In 1963, rules were implemented requiring all competitors to dress 'predominantly in white'. Then 32 years later, the wording was altered to 'almost entirely white.' This rule applies both during matches and on the practice court. Kournikova isn't the only one who has skirted the regulations and she did make sure to don all-white for her opening match against Tatiana Panova - although, she ended up losing in three sets. She did reach the women's doubles semi-finals that year however, before falling to eventual champions Serena and Venus Williams. Andre Agassi famously skipped the tournament from 1988 to 1990 in protest of the all-white clothing rule, later expressing in his autobiography: "I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules. Why must I wear white? I don't want to wear white. "Why should it matter to these people what I wear? Above all, I took offence at being barred and blocked and made to feel unwanted." Nick Kyrgios caused a stir when he stepped onto Centre Court in 2022 sporting a red cap and red trainers, and he has recently urged the tournament to scrap the all-white dress code to allow players more freedom to express their individuality at the Grand Slam.
Wales Online
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wimbledon star broke dress code rules and had to borrow shorts from her coach
Wimbledon star broke dress code rules and had to borrow shorts from her coach Anna Kournikova was told off by Wimbledon chiefs in 2002 before she even took to the court after breaking the strict dress code at the All England Club Anna Kournikova smiles at Martina Hingis (Image: Getty Images ) Anna Kournikova once found herself in a spot of bother during a Wimbledon practice session, having violated the All England Club's stringent dress code by wearing a pair of shorts that weren't white. At SW19, players are typically required to don all-white attire. This year saw a rare exception with black armbands worn as a tribute to the late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, but aside from this, the rule is strictly white-only on court. Prior to the commencement of the 2002 tournament, Russian tennis sensation Kournikova was reprimanded for turning up to her practice session clad in black shorts. At the time, she was ranked 54th in the world and was participating in the British Slam for the final time in her career. She even made it to the women's doubles semi-finals that year, only to be defeated by the eventual champions, Serena and Venus Williams. However, before she could even set foot on the court, Kournikova was firmly instructed by tournament officials to change her attire, reports the Express. In 1963, a rule was implemented requiring all competitors to dress 'predominantly in white', which was later revised in 1995 to 'almost entirely white.' Article continues below This regulation applies not only during matches but also on the practice court. Kournikova became acutely aware of these rules when she arrived for practice in her black shorts. Unfortunately, she was without a pair of white shorts and had to find an alternative solution. She ended up borrowing a pair from the renowned late coach Nick Bollettieri to adhere to the regulations and continue playing on the court. Wimbledon's strict rules extend to practice sessions before the tournament starts. On Centre Court, players outside the top 10 are restricted to just 30 minutes of hitting time each, leading many elite players to partner up for a combined hour of practice. Kournikova, while not alone in flouting Wimbledon's dress code, did ensure she was decked out in all-white for her opening match against Tatiana Panova, despite a disappointing 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 defeat. Article continues below Andre Agassi famously skipped the tournament between 1988 and 1990 in protest of the all-white clothing mandate, later stating in his autobiography: "I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules. Why must I wear white? I don't want to wear white." He also expressed his frustration with the establishment, saying, "Why should it matter to these people what I wear? Above all, I took offence at being barred and blocked and made to feel unwanted." Nick Kyrgios made headlines when he stepped onto Centre Court in 2022 sporting a red cap and red trainers, and has recently voiced his opinion that Wimbledon should scrap the all-white dress code to allow players more freedom to express their individual styles at the prestigious Grand Slam event.
Wales Online
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Wimbledon icon Anna Kournikova disappeared as reclusive life at 44 now emerges
Wimbledon icon Anna Kournikova disappeared as reclusive life at 44 now emerges Anna Kournikova became a worldwide celebrity during her tennis career before it was cut short in 2003 due to injuries, two years after she began dating pop superstar Enrique Iglesias Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova in 2001 Anna Kournikova may have endured a sad end to her tennis career due to injury but the sporting icon found solace in her family with Enrique Iglesias. Bursting onto the scene in the late 90s, the Russian's looks and celebrity status saw her become a household name that transcended the world of sports. She was only 15 years of age when she reached the third round of the US Open, before losing to eventual winner Steffi Graf. A year later, she continued to establish herself as a tennis phenom as she made it to the semi-finals of Wimbledon aged just 16. She was knocked out by future doubles team-mate Martina Hingis, who went on to win the title. Beyond tennis, Kournikova became a familiar face on magazine covers, including FHM and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 2002, she was voted the world's sexiest woman, beating celebrities like Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. Kournikova transcended tennis in the late 90s and early noughties (Image: Getty Images ) She also had a small role in the cult comedy classic Me, Myself and Irene in 2000, starring alongside Hollywood heavyweights Jim Carrey and Rene Zellweger. Article continues below Kournikova also ventured into TV presenting, appearing on NBC's The Biggest Loser show as a celebrity trainer. While her future looked incredibly bright, that stunning run at the All England Club would be the furthest she'd reach at a Grand Slam before her untimely retirement in 2003 at 21 years of age due to debilitating back and spine issues. At the time of her retirement, she had been dating the Spanish artist for two years and has remained together with the Hero singer ever since. The pair share three children, twins Nicholas and Lucy, 7, and Mary, 5 and live a quiet life out of the public spotlight for the most part. They share a $26m mansion in Miami, which has 16ft-high walls as a security and privacy measure. Anna Kournikova, Enrique Iglesias and their children It was in 2017 that Kournikova, 44, gave birth to her twins as Iglesias later made a stunning revelation about the pair's sex life when talking to The Sun. "It's probably more sex now than ever," the 50-year-old confessed. "The sex has not diminished. Like any couple, you still go through your ups and downs and it's not always perfect. But it is perfect in a way. It's incredible to watch her be such a great mother. "It's incredible to watch a mum do what she does, when a mother's instinct kicks in." It was in 2011 that Kournikova recalled her decision to retire from tennis and detailed just how much pain she was forced to endure. Tennis star Anna Kournikova as she is today (Image: Anna Kournikova/ Instagram ) Speaking to People, she said: "I never planned or thought that was going to be it. My back really forced me to stop. It got so bad; I couldn't tie my shoes, literally. I would be in excruciating pain. "I had been doing six to eight hours [of training] every day since I was 5 years old. It was very interesting to me to stop playing and to figure out, 'Who am I without tennis?' It was very difficult and scary as hell." Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias have been together since 2001 (Image: John Parra/WireImage ) Article continues below She paid tribute to Iglesias for the part he played around the time her tennis career came to an end as she said he "helped me figure out who I am" before revealing the different methods she had undertaken to discover who she was without tennis. "I did everything from therapy to 10-hour walks on the beach to discover, and think, and try new things," she explained. It was in January earlier this year that photos of Kournikova emerged for the first time in two years which showed her in a wheelchair outside a shopping centre in Miami with a medical boot on her foot.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Once-glamorous sports legend breaks cover with a VERY pointed message... just weeks after looking unrecognizable in a wheelchair
She is a former tennis star who reached a career-high single ranking of world No 8 and was once voted the world's sexiest woman. But earlier this year Anna Kournikova sparked major concern over her health after she was spotted in a wheelchair wearing a protective boot.
Irish Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Without the personalities, rivalries and characters tennis is just another game
The queues at Adidas were the longest of any stall at Roland Garros in 1999. The Los Angeles Times reported that Anna Kournikova, the most glamorous player in women's tennis, had one of her dresses cut up and made into keyrings that her sponsors were giving away for free. Then ranked 20th in the world, everyone knew who Kournikova was, especially teenage boys, who were drooling over the pieces of fabric. Creepy as the stunt was even by last century standards, the Russian star was a household name. At the time Adidas didn't know how many dresses they were going to have to destroy to satisfy an expected distribution of 150,000 keyrings. The current world number 20 is Liudmila Samsonova. Great athlete, ever heard of her? As much as Kournikova was being adored, that same year Martina Hingis was finding out how hateful and lonely the centre court could be in the city of love. Facing an ageing Steffi Graf in the final, the then 18-year-old served for the title leading 6-4, 5-4. READ MORE But the German player, inspired by the French crowd chanting 'Steffi! Steffi!' broke the Swiss Miss serve to win eight of the next 10 games and take the third set and Grand Slam title number 22. Hingis crossed the net to dispute a line call, took an extended bathroom break at the end of the second set, was issued with two penalties, docked a point and served underhanded on Graf's first championship point. At the end of the match, Hingis left the court, and, in tears, returned in the arms of her mother for the trophy presentation. Drama. Anna Kournikova of Russia in May, 1999, serves during the French Open at Roland Garros. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Allsport The year after that a young kid no more than 14 years old walked in through the gates of the Parisian club at Boulevard d'Auteuil and turned left to walk up towards Court Suzanne Lenglen. A British colleague turned and said: 'That Spanish kid is beating senior players.' The Spanish kid wore a sleeveless top and had ripped arms. Rafa Nadal, at 14, had begun his professional career and was already winning against adults. Five years later, on his 19th birthday, he defeated Roger Federer in the semi-final before winning the first of his 14 French Open tiles on his first attempt. This week the headlines were about Carlos Alcaraz saying he doesn't want to be labelled Nadal's successor. The current tennis sensation has been promoting his three-part docu-series on Netflix, Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, where the big reveal appears to be that he went to Ibiza and partied before winning his first Wimbledon title in 2023. The problem for Alcaraz is that he is in an era where Novak Djokovic, who will be 38 years old next month, is, with Alcaraz, the most recognisable player in the sport and we're not far away from saying perhaps the only recognisable faces in the sport. The current world number one player, Jannik Sinner, has yet to return from his three-month doping ban. The sport tried to save the Italian when the International Tennis Integrity Agency ruled that he wasn't at fault for the positive tests, accepting that the contamination was caused by a physio applying an over-the-counter spray. The World Anti-Doping Agency then stepped in and lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leading to Sinner accepting a suspension that will end on May 4th. The likelihood is that Sinner couldn't be picked out of a line-up of tennis players except by the most devoted fans. Neither could they identify Alex de Minaur, the world number seven or Holger Rune, who is ranked ninth in the world. Italy's Jannik Sinner (left) greets Australia's Alex de Minaur after his victory in their men's singles quarter-final match on day 11 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22nd, 2025. Photograph: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP via Getty Images The sixth-ranked woman in the world is an Italian player, Jasmine Paolini, while the world number eight is Qinwen Zheng from China. There is a strong chance sponsors won't be cutting up their dresses to make 150,000 keyrings. Rivalry, personalities and X factor have long been the mainstay of tennis. The lack of that is not a new phenomenon, it just seems to have become worse. Ten years ago, before he served eight months of a 2½ year prison sentence for hiding millions of euros in a fraud case, Boris Becker argued that the game was in danger of lacking real characters because of the intense scrutiny on them. The three-time Wimbledon champion said the rise of microscopic social media and news coverage had sterilised players' personalities. 'Nowadays everything is so supervised and so observed and everybody is very judgmental,' said Becker, who claimed players were more emotional on and off court when he competed. And so, he proved in a brief broom cupboard encounter with a model in Mayfair's Nobu restaurant during which his daughter was conceived. It's easy to see the past with rose-tinted specs and say how it was more interesting and colourful with greater rivalries and more daring personalities. Sure, players probably reach many more people now because of social media, but if the current world number one woman player, Aryna Sabalenka, was dressed in her civvies, could most people pick her out of a crowd? The sport can do without cutting up teenage players' dresses and handing the bits out to infatuated adolescents. Alcaraz and Djokovic aside, a Roland Garros without Federer, Nadal or Andy Murray coming up in a matter of weeks seems much more difficult to get excited about.
