EXCLUSIVE: We Reveal REAL Reasons Wheelchair-Bound Tennis Prodigy Anna Kournikova Dumped Fame, Kept Her Twins Secret — And Shielded Herself Behind 16Ft Mansion Wall
Former tennis prodigy Anna Kournikova now rarely leaves the safety of her Florida mansion with her partner Enrique Iglesias.
Jan. 31 2025, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Tennis prodigy Anna Kournikova appeared to have it all as she toured the world playing the sport she loved and raked in millions of dollars.
But injury blighted her career, stalkers and cranks followed her every move and now she's living the life of a virtual recluse behind the 16ft walls of her mansion with singer partner Enrique Iglesias and their three children, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Since quitting the game in 2003, aged just 21, due to back problems, she rarely ventures out and often needs a wheelchair due to chronic pain.
This week she was photographed in public for the first time in nearly three years.
Iglesias once said marriage doesn't define their love, but Kournikova's Instagram name tells another story.
And it seems the 43-year-old has not shaken off the injuries that prevented her career on court reaching its full potential.
The Russian-born star was spotted at Bal Harbour in Miami being pushed along in a wheelchair by family and friends, with her right foot clad in an orthopedic boot.
She was last seen by fans when she shared a photo of her family celebrating Mother’s Day and Iglesias' 47th birthday in their back garden in May 2022.
It was becoming a mom to twins Nicholas and Lucy in December 2017 that saw her move away from public view.
Once the world's highest-paid female tennis star, Kournikova earned millions – yet only a fraction came from actually playing the sport for which she was famous.
She did not announce their birth until a month later.
Since then, there have been the occasional images of her children posted on social media.
Kournikova said: "I love being a mum. I absolutely wanted to have children, whether I had my own or adopted."
But the couple give so little away that they have not even confirmed a rumored marriage.
She wears a huge sparkly ring on her wedding finger and calls herself Anna Kournikova Iglesias on her Instagram page.
Fame brought Kournikova fortune, but also stalkers and relentless scrutiny.
He also said in 2022: "We haven't gotten married in public, but that doesn't mean we are not married.
"We have been together for such a long time, for half of our lives."
Despite never reaching the final of a grand slam singles tournament, the Russian was in such demand she was the highest-earning female player in 2000.
It is believed she made around $40m in her career – but only $2.8m came from on-court prize money and the rest was from lucrative sponsorship deals.
Her life is a world away from her years as a teenage sensation when she once joked that "every country I visit, I have a different boyfriend and I kiss them all," following rumors she was seeing two Russian ice hockey stars at the same time.
From tennis prodigy to devoted mother, Kournikova now prioritizes family life over the spotlight she once courted.
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Her reluctance to go out in public is understandable, given that a stalker once tried to get onto her property
Talking about her worldwide fame in 2019 she said: "It’s really strange, it feels like it happened to me but it didn’t happen to me because it was such a long time ago."
And she confessed that all the attention she received had made her anxious.
She said: "Being in the spotlight since I was a child was really hard. I did feel pressure when people were saying things like, 'You’re too pretty, you can’t play', or whatever.
"I would get so nervous and get anxiety on the court, I wouldn’t be able to move."
