Anna Kournikova Stunning Style Evolution Has Heads Turning
For years, Anna Kournikova absolutely dominated the world of tennis, but she was more than just a dab hand with a racket. From a 1990s shell suit to Insta shots with her kids, here's how her style has evolved over time.
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00:00For years, Anna Kournikova absolutely dominated the world of tennis, but she was more than
00:05just a dab hand with a racket. From a 1990s shell suit to Insta shots with her kids, here's
00:11how her style has evolved over time.
00:14Believe it or not, there are some 90s fashion trends that are coming back in style. Shell
00:19suits were incredibly popular back then, but when we look back at them now, it's hard to
00:23see why we loved them so much. No one who grew up in the 90s got away from this trend
00:28unscathed, not even Anna Kournikova. In 1994, she was already making her mark in tennis
00:34as she scooped the trophy at the Les Petits Arts competition. The prestigious competition
00:39sees players up to the age of 14 compete for a shot at the title. While it's not quite
00:44Wimbledon, some of the best tennis stars have cut their teeth there. Lindsay Davenport was
00:48a finalist in 1990. While we should look back on this moment in time as a turning point
00:53in Kournikova's career, we can't help but focus on the fashion more than anything else.
00:57The shell suit is a testament to the times, absolutely swamping her tiny frame as she
01:02raised the trophy above her head. The dizzying blue and purple of the suit is enough for
01:07Kournikova's smiling face to become part of the background. But hey, if nothing else,
01:11it looks comfortable.
01:13The next two years that followed Anna Kournikova's Les Petits Arts win were just as thrilling.
01:19In 1995, she scooped the coveted title of the ITF Junior World Champion. That's no mean
01:24feat, as she beat out plenty of other talented young hopefuls to scoop the prize. In 1996,
01:30she attended the ITF World Champions Dinner at the French Open wearing a simple black
01:34button-down dress. Her trademark blonde locks were worn loose and straight as she posed
01:39for photos as she tucked her hair behind her ear, holding her ITF trophy. At this point,
01:44she was days away from being 15, but signs of her future style were beginning to emerge.
01:49In the years that followed, Kournikova started to grow up and play around with her personal
01:53style more. But two things from this era remain the same for a long time — her love
01:58of monochrome and her blonde hair. While some stars may play around with their hair color
02:02and use their youth to experiment, Kournikova was fairly certain of her aesthetic from an
02:07early age.
02:09By the year 2000, Anna Kournikova wasn't just a tennis whiz who owned the matches she played,
02:14she was also a bona fide celebrity. The media was just as interested in her personal life
02:19as they were in her athletic ability, perhaps even more so. After all, she was a stunning
02:2418-year-old who reportedly had a net worth of $70 million thanks to her savvy sponsorship
02:29deals and tournament wins.
02:31"'Sexy' is when you feel good about yourself."
02:34She was also allegedly engaged to fellow sports star Pavel Bure from the Florida Panthers.
02:40Kournikova kept busy playing her sport and attending events, like the Sanex WTA Awards
02:44at club level in Miami, Florida, in March. The athlete showed off her lean physique and
02:49golden tan by wearing a black crochet two-piece outfit and a leopard print bra. She paired
02:54the look with chunky heels, wearing her blonde hair slightly messy and loose. It was a striking
02:59look for someone so young, but Kournikova was ready to own her aesthetic and have fun
03:04with 2000s trends as she progressed into the millennium.
03:08In the early 2000s, Kournikova made it clear that she wasn't just a sports star with a
03:12pretty face — she was an international sex symbol. By now, she was just as famous
03:17for her striking outfits and photo shoots as she was for her tennis career. The chances
03:22are that during this period, even if you weren't a fan of the sport, you knew Kournikova.
03:27In 2004, she attended the anniversary party of Light and Caramel at the Bellagio in Las
03:32Vegas, wearing black leather pants, a very of-the-moment matching purse, and a cropped
03:36white top with spaghetti straps. The star accentuated her outfit with a long silver
03:41necklace and big hoops, making her look as though she belonged in a hip-hop music video.
03:45Her beaming smile wasn't just down to her popularity at the time, but her longtime love.
03:51Kournikova's relationship with Enrique Iglesias was in full bloom by this point, with the
03:55pair finding love on the set of Iglesias' music video for Escape in 2001.
04:00You know, he's the male version of me."
04:03Whether Iglesias' popular status influenced Kournikova's fashion during this era is up
04:07for debate, but she already had quite a strong sense of style before she started dating the
04:12famous singer.
04:14It's clear even now that Kournikova lives a lavish life, but back in the 2000s, it was
04:19even more prevalent. The tennis pro was often spotted at different events, rocking the red
04:23carpet and wearing some impressive outfits. However, monochrome was often her trademark.
04:29Kournikova sported black and white outfits regularly, rarely stepping out of her comfort
04:33zone to wear something bold and bright. When she did dare to wear something colorful, it
04:37turned heads. In 2006, she attended the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation's 11th Annual
04:43Grand Slam for Children fundraiser at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and she
04:48went all out.
04:50Kournikova wore a breathtaking multi-colored floor-length dress that showed off her frame
04:54while also keeping things PG. The ethereal gown made her look like a mermaid coming to
04:59shore, with her blonde hair worn in loose waves around her shoulders.
05:03Kournikova paired the dress with simple, strappy gold sandals, and as far as a charity
05:07gala look goes, she knocked it out of the park.
05:12Kournikova's transformation really amped up in the last decade. Although she actually
05:15retired from tennis at the young age of 21 in 2003, Kournikova continued to make a splash
05:21in the public eye for years afterward. However, by the mid-2010s, she had begun to live a
05:26relatively quiet life alongside Iglesias and was rarely spotted on red carpets. In fact,
05:32one of the most recent images of her attending a public event was in 2014, when she was pictured
05:37watching the U.S. Open.
05:39These days, if you want to catch a glimpse of what Kournikova is up to, the best place
05:42to turn to is her Instagram profile. In 2016, she posted a photograph of herself with two
05:48girls, presumably family members. She wears a simple black heart necklace, multiple bangles,
05:54and finishes off the look with white nail polish and big, chunky white sneakers.
05:59Since the 2010s, Kournikova has taken a step back from the spotlight. As a result of her
06:03desire for privacy, not much is known about her and Iglesias' three children. In 2022,
06:10Kournikova posted a photo of herself and Iglesias playing with their kids. Her playful mom style
06:14included an all-black outfit, harking back to her love of monochrome.
06:19Kournikova has kept a low profile since posting this photo, but something tells us her fashion
06:23evolution isn't over just yet.