Posted on 06/17/2012 5:00:26 PM PDT by presidio9
You may have forgotten about tennis celebrity Anna Kournikova, but the retired star celebrates her 31st birthday today.
Kournikova took the tennis world by storm in the 1990s, gaining as much attention for her good looks as her tennis ability.
But Kournikova's career is largely considered a disappointment.
Once a highly-touted phenom, she failed to live up to her potential before ultimately finding her niche off the court.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I’m only here for the photos...
Not guilty!
Why a disappointment? Does every tennis pro win a grand slam tournament?
Perhaps unrealistic expectations for her?
Much the same could be said about POTUS...
Those twins take that prize for women’s tennis.
I think that I can help her find her niche.
She is financially worth and estimated $50Million and recently sold her villa in Florida for $7.4Million.
Obaviously, it is good to be a washed-up tennis player!
RULES!!!
Anna sold tickets after many had concluded that womens tennis was largely lesbo. They should all pay her a royalty for saving the sport.
Anna who?
I just wish she’d stop calling me.
And a very nice niche she has too.
She did not win a single WTA tournament, leave alone a grand slam tournament.
I think people don’t realize just how good these people are.
When I was in college our number one player won every single match, he may have even been national champion but I graduated before that. I do remember him once telling me he could make me a tennis player after watching a match I had in a PE class.
Anyway a couple of years ago, I decided to see how far he had made it. I thought he was probably a middle of the line pro player making good money but not winning big tournament and maybe sometimes surprising people.
What I found out was he was the club pro at a Country Club.
I do know he was one of the last players I ever saw using a wooden Jack Kramer racket.
She was a very good doubles player, reaching #1 with Martina Hingis. She won two grand slam doubles. Plus she is smoking hot and gave women’s tennis some much needed sex appeal. She was good for the game.
She only has this level of fame because she is hot. It’s like Danica Patrick. Based on their abilities, very few people would have any clue who they were, but they are attractive, so there you go.
I think that Maria Sharapova is much prettier and a better player to boot.
She’s good enough to participate in the tourny, so what if she didn’t win? Doesn’t diminish her tennis skills. I think the commentators of her looks are jealous and trying to diminish her as someone with looks but no skill
Not Guilty.
< The Rise And Fall Of One Of The Most Polarizing Athletes In Sports
I guess I missed the part where she became “one Of The Most Polarizing Athletes In Sports”
Give me a break - she was a young, sexy & beautiful tennis player, but polarizing? LOL
Dennis Rodman was “polarizing.”
Micheal Vick was “polarizing.”
The ear biting Mike Tyson was “polarizing.”
Anna & her sister are two hot babes, but polarizing?
>the retired star celebrates her 31st birthday today.
Wish I was there with you, Anna!
I’m sure she was a winner in ever match I ever saw her play. I admit I should have turned the volume on while I watched.
I certainly hope so!
Well she did have a poker hand named after her...AK (Ace-King), because it looks great but never wins.
Doesn't matter. Pro sports is primarily entertainment. Viability is dependent upon people watching. People watched her. It saved women's pro tennis from the fate of the WNBA.
When I think of “polarizing” athletes, the likes of OJ Simpson and Mike Tyson come to mind. Not Anna.
What’s the point of articles like that except to elicit clicks for advertisement? People who write scathing articles sometimes forget there is a real human being on the receiving end. While she appears on the outside that she’s got everything she wants out of life, who says she’s happy, and doesn’t the fact that she’s out of the spotlight and stays that way entitle her to not having to read how “disappointing” she is?
She had the skill, what she lacked was consistency and she seemed to doubt herself. I remember watching her against one of the Williams beasts and thinking that she could win, if only she stopped letting herself be intimidated by the beast’s power, because she definitely had more skill and control, at least in IMO.
As far as I’m concerned, the day when the disgusting spectacle that the Williams beasts bring to the sport of women’s tennis becomes a thing of the past can’t come soon enough. The younger one especially.
Oh God, this is the big one Elizabeth!
My comments would get me banned but my thoughts sure are nice. OW!
The best ass on clay was Martina Hingis.
“The best ass on clay was Martina Hingis.”
I’ll take the Swiss Miss any day. Anna Kournikova sure as hell didn’t save tennis.
In just 4 years she’ll hit the magic birthday number and be 1/2 my age+7!
I think it is pronounced “Hing” as in “King” and “is” as the last part of “kiss”. more of a soft “hiss” than “us”.
Cover up the body and just look at her face, without the distractions.
She kind of looks like a bland faced stoner.
Great minds think alike.
There is no other point. Which leads to the "rules" posts you see here on FR.
It's one of the reasons I can't stand the Fox News website. Lots of pop-culture garbage dressed up as "news."
Fantasies sure are fun!!!
You’ll make Uncle Rrrod proud!
From $3 million in tennis earnings to a $50 million modeling career. That’s quit a fall.
You're not thinking like the lesbian sisterhood that dominates womens' professional sports and influences Media opinion-makers directly and indirectly. ("Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel")
It really isn't hard to do once you know how.
Polarizing? Kinda like Sarah Palin. They are envious and jealous. They put it all on her.
Way too much emphasis is placed on superficial things such as looks these days.
I think that Maria Sharapova is much prettier and a better player to boot.
No kidding? Then let's have some pics!!
I wish this one showed her face but it is Martina Hingis.
I could watch her rising and falling all day.
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