She was once one of the most famous tennis players on the planet, winning a grand slam at the age of just 17.
Former tennis star Anna Kournikova surprised fans this week when she was seen in a wheelchair at a posh shopping center in Miami. Despite retiring from the sport in 2003, she still garners attention.
It marked the first photos to emerge of the the 43-year-old in more than two years.
Accompanied by her two young daughters, the images showed her fingers wrapped up in a pink band aid and her leg, in an orthopaedic boot.
The details of her injury and when it occurred remain unknown. Throughout her life, Kournikova has faced various health challenges which she has openly discussed with her fans.
Kournikova called it quits on her on-court career back at the age of just 21 after winning 16 career titles in the doubles game.
Notably, in 1999, she reached the pinnacle of her career by achieving the No. 1 ranking in doubles after winning the Australian Open with her partner Martina Hingis. Together, they were famously referred to as the ‘Spice Girls of Tennis’.
However, she was forced into early retirement following a series of injuries, mainly back problems and stress fractures.
Anna Kournikova was once one of the most famous tennis player’s on the planet, winning a grand slam at the age of just 17. Pictured, in 1999
This week Anna Kournikova — who retired from the sport in 2003 — shocked fans after being spotted in a wheelchair at Bal Harbour, a luxurious shopping center in Miami
It marked the first photos to emerge of the the 43-year-old in more than two years. Accompanied by her two young daughters, the images showed her fingers wrapped up in a pink band aid and leg, in an orthopaedic boot
In the summer of 2003, weeks before announcing her retirement she was forced to pull out of two key grass tournaments prior to Wimbledon, diagnosed with chronic lumbar dysfunction.
The condition causes stiffness and pain in the lower back and legs, as well as pins and needles or numbness.
It is often caused by spinal disks pushing on nerve roots or sudden trauma to the spine.
After being spotted in a tearful discussion with her coach and with bandages applied to her back, she said: ‘I’ve been advised not to play this week or next week and I don’t know any further than that.
‘They said my injury was chronic because it keeps coming back.
‘It’s the same problem I’ve had since after the Australian Open and it gives me referred pain in other areas but it all comes from my back.’
Then, in October 2003 she told The Guardian she had ‘basically had an injury nearly every single year’.
She recalled: ‘In ’97 I had a stress fracture and was out for three months.
In the summer of 2003, weeks before announcing her retirement she was forced to pull out of two key grass tournaments prior to Wimbledon, diagnosed with chronic lumbar dysfunction
She hit a career-high ranking of No. 1 in doubles after winning the Australian Open alongside partner Martina Hingis (pictured) in 1999 who dubbed themselves the ‘ Spice Girls of Tennis’
While the nature of her injury — as well as when she may have suffered it — was unclear, the star is no stranger to health struggles having lived a life peppered with scares that she has candidly discussed
‘In ’98 I had a torn ligament in my thumb and was out for three months; in ’99 I had another stress fracture for three months. In 2001 I didn’t basically play the whole year.’
In the same interview, her then-agent Phil de Picciotto, speculated that her back injuries which included a herniated disk, ‘could be hereditary or training at a young age or too much tennis or bad luck’.
He added: ‘They just don’t know exactly.’
Years later in 2011, reflecting on her short tennis career she also revealed to People magazine that she never ‘planned or thought that was going to be it.’
She recalled: ‘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.
‘I did everything from therapy to 10-hour walks on the beach to discover, and think, and try new things.’
Since then, the retired tennis player has largely kept her private life out of the spotlight, aside from the occasional tribute Instagram post to the father of her children and long-term boyfriend, Enrique Iglesias. Pictured together
In October 2003 she told The Guardian she had ‘basically had an injury nearly every single year’ of her tennis career. Pictured in 1998
Since then, the retired tennis player has largely kept her private life out of the spotlight, aside from the occasional tribute Instagram post to the father of her children and long-term boyfriend, Enrique Iglesias.
The Spanish singer and Kournikova have been dating since 2001 after the ex-tennis pro appeared as Iglesias’s love interest in the music video for his hit single ‘Escape.’
The singer-songwriter has been more open about their family life.
‘I’m relaxing at home with the kids, enjoying taking them to school and watching them grow,’ he said at the 2024 40 Music Awards.
‘I have twins that are six and a girl who is four, so every day they grow so fast.
‘I want to enjoy that. In 24 hours they’re already grown.’
The couple currently share a home in Miami, where they raise their three children.
