before start of the exhibition
July 1999
With her penetrating ground strokes and a fearless net game, 18 year-old Anna
Kournikova has handily bashed her way to the top of the tennis world. But a
great tennis game is not the only thing that this Russian native has. Around the
world, young boys and not so young boys fill tennis stadiums with signs that
read, "Anna gets my blood rushing!" and "Anna, call me!" It would seem
that fans are more interested in Kournikova's tight tummy and the waist-length
hair she hasn't cut since she was 7.
To add to the teen sex symbol mystique, the 5'8" (and still growing)
Kournikova has been hounded by tabloid reporters, each looking for the real
story behind the young tennis star's private relationship with 28-year-old
Detroit Red Wings center Sergei Fedorov. Rumor has it that the two were recently
engaged. While neither will confirm the story, the flirtatious tennis star was
seen sporting a diamond on her finger the size of a doorknob. Besides her
success on the court, Kournikova has made quite a name for herself on Madison
Avenue as well. With contracts from Adidas, Rolex and Yonex rackets pouring in,
Kournikova has become a very rich young girl…and not a very modest one either.
Her mother Alla, who chaperones Anna on the circuit while her college professor
dad, Sergei, teaches phys ed in Moscow, never worries about her daughter's
self-esteem. "She is always saying, 'I'm beautiful, famous and gorgeous,'"
says Alla. Anna, overhearing her mother, chimed in. "She's right. That's
my favorite saying."
I recently had the opportunity to chat with the tennis world's most talked
about female player.
Chauncé Hayden: Okay, let's start by getting all the tennis questions out of
the way. How do you feel about coming to Mahwah, New Jersey?
Anna Kournikova: Last year was a great year for me because I had just come off a
great tournament in Wimbledon. I lost in the finals in a very tough match. I
really like the tournament in Mahwah, even though I didn't play last year
because of an injury. I went anyway, but I was disappointed that I couldn't
play.
CH: During this past year how happy have you been in regards to how you're
playing tennis?
AK: I'm in good shape now. I've been working very hard and practicing every
day.
CH: You seem to always come close but never win it all. What part of your game
needs the most work?
AK: I think I just need some more experience and I'm going to have to play
more matches.
CH: Are you frustrated that you have yet to win a tournament despite some great
accomplishments?
AK: No, there's a time for everybody…[laughs] that's all I can say!
CH: Tennis experts seem to think it's your serve that gives you the most
trouble.
AK: My serve is fine now. As you can see it's been really fine.
CH: How do you feel about your current ranking?
AK: The last time I looked it was 16th in the world. I try not to think about
the rankings. I just try to concentrate on my tennis. But I think it's fine.
CH: Do you think the ranking system in tennis is fair?
AK: I don't know a lot of the details but I think it's fine.
CH: Thus far, what would you say is the most memorable moment of your tennis
career?
AK: It would be very hard to say. There have been so many.
CH: There're no special moments either bad or good that stand out?
AK: No, not really.
CH: These days it seems as if women's tennis is divided between the older
women and the younger women. Do you see the division yourself?
AK: Um…no, I personally don't think so. When we are on the court we are just
players. Age doesn't matter. Young or old, there's nothing between us other
than that we're all tennis players. We all just concentrate on our game and
try to win the match.
CH: Wouldn't you agree that top-ranked Martina Hingis has had some problems
with some of the older players?
AK: I don't know about other players' problems. You should ask them. I
wouldn't want to judge them. But as far as I'm concerned I respect all
players, both young and old. For me there is no difference. I respect everybody.
CH: Speaking of Hingis, you're now her doubles partner. What is it like going
from her opponent to her teammate?
AK: We have a great friendship. And it helps me, playing with her. She's
taught me a lot of things. Not to mention we have great success on the court as
teammates.
CH: What has Hingis taught you exactly?
AK: Well, we've been concentrating a lot on the doubles. The whole time
we've been together we lost only one time and that was the final of the French
Open. So playing with her and practicing with her is always a learning
experience. I have a lot of respect for her as a player. She's a great girl.
CH: What did you think of Martina's childish behavior at this year's French
Open Final against Steffi Graf? [Writer's note: Hingis threw a temper tantrum
after losing to Graf at the French Open.]
AK: I don't really have an opinion, because I can't really judge anybody. I
know what it feels like to be on the court and I know that it can be very hard
and that you have a lot of different emotions when you play. You want to win so
badly and it's hard when you get disappointed. You go through so many
different emotions on the court. It's different than real life. You have to be
an athlete to understand the emotions that we're going through.
CH: But you have to agree Martina's behavior was over the top.
AK: I don't know, I'm sorry.
CH: Since the both of you are close friends did you talk to her about it after
the match?
AK: I just tried to cheer her up. We had to play doubles so we had to get ready
for that. She seems to be fine now.
CH: Could you ever see yourself acting that way?
AK: Probably not.
CH: What about some of your other opponents? Are you also friends with Venus and
Serena Williams as well?
AK: Yeah, we're friendly. We talk to each other in the locker room about girl
stuff and things like that.
CH: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that you've had to deal with
criticism back home in Russia for not playing any tournaments there. Has the
Russian press been hard on you?
AK: During a break from the tour I went to Russia and played tennis.
CH: Did you go back to play tennis because of criticism by the Russian press?
AK: Not at all. I don't think it was criticism. I just couldn't play in
Russia because I was injured.
CH: Does it bother you that the men tennis players earn more prize money than
the women?
AK: We work just as hard. [Long pause] But I don't have too much of an opinion
on that because as long as I'm playing and I'm winning it doesn't make a
big difference for me.
CH: It sounds like you don't think you're as valuable as the men.
AK: No, I think we're just as valuable. But the men are the men. They're the
best! And they play five sets and that makes a big difference. But on the other
hand we have bigger ratings than the men. So I guess we should get paid the same.
CH: Let's face it, part of your persona is that you're not only young but
you're also sexy. Do your sponsors who you represent ever get nervous that you
might be just a little too sexy and ask you to tone it down?
AK: No, actually I think that they like the fact that I'm looking out for
myself.
CH: What did it mean for you to be voted one of People magazine's “50 Most
Beautiful People”?
AK: It was an interesting experience but it didn't change my life much.
CH: It's hard to believe that people didn't treat you just a little
different after getting that kind of attention.
AK: Nope, not at all. Like I said, my life hasn't changed much.
CH: Well, now that you're 18 life has to have changed just a little for you. I
mean, you're an adult now.
AK: Actually, no. I still have to listen to my mother. [Laughs] She's always
right!
CH: How did you celebrate your 18th birthday?
AK: I had dinner with my family and friends. And that's all.
CH: Does your mother have to constantly work to safeguard you from those you
might try to exploit you?
AK: Well, I think it's great to have a parent to travel with me because being
on the tour can be very difficult…it can get very lonely at times. It's just
hard to be alone. So it's nice to have someone from my family, especially my
mother, because she understands me. Plus you know that your family only wants
the best for you.
CH: There seem to be such great expectations for you. Do you think you've been
able to live up to those expectations?
AK: Um…yeah, I think so.
CH: What are your own expectations?
AK: For me it's always to improve and to continue to do what I'm doing as
best I can. I just want to continue to do what I love to do and to progress and
practice. But the most important thing is to enjoy it.
CH: Can you enjoy it when the media puts so much pressure on you to not just win
but to win and be sexy at the same time?
AK: That's been happening for a long time now. It just is part of the job.
CH: You're always in the tabloids and I don't mean the sports section. What
would you say is the most outrageous non-sport-related story ever written about
you?
AK: [Laughs] I don't remember the bad things!
CH: Do you read the bad things?
AK: No, I don't.
CH: How do you handle all the tabloid attention?
AK: I'm just going to concentrate on my tennis. There are way too many
newspapers to read.
CH: Like it or not you've become more than just a tennis player—you're a
celebrity on the same level as any other A-list celebrity. Which do you enjoy
more, the attention you get from being a tennis player or the attention you get
from being a celebrity?
AK: If I wanted to be recognized as a celebrity I wouldn't be playing tennis.
I would be acting or something.
CH: Do you ever get offers to appear in movies or on television?
AK: It happens sometimes.
CH: For instance?
AK: I'm sorry, I can't tell you. I only know what goes on when it comes to
tennis.
CH: If you weren't playing tennis what would you be doing?
AK: [Laughs] I'd probably be working in Russia somewhere! I don't know what
I'd be doing but I would definitely be doing something.
CH: Okay, let's talk about your love life. It's been rumored that you're
dating a hockey player from the Detroit Red Wings. Are you?
AK: I never dated anybody. [Laughs] No.
CH: So then you're single?
AK:: No comment.
CH: Your name is well known even outside of tennis because of your sex symbol
image. What is that like for you?
AK: Um …I don't know. I don't feel any different whether I'm one or not.
CH: Do you see yourself as a sex symbol?
AK: I think of myself as a person.
CH: So you wouldn't consider modeling?
AK: Nope. Obviously, I've dedicated the last 13 years of my life to tennis, so
why would I change?
CH: Because as a model you get paid twice as much and you don't have to
practice every day.
AK: Yeah, but you have to be beautiful and you have to sleep and you have to not
eat anything. And so that would be a problem because I love to eat.
CH: You said earlier that you've been playing tennis your entire life.
AK: Not my entire life! I didn't play tennis the first five years of my life.
CH: Sorry…almost your entire life. But do you ever get to be just a normal
teenager? No tennis, no agents or coaches…just a normal young girl?
AK: I am a young girl.
CH: But are you a “normal” young girl? I mean do you get to go out and
behave like other 18-year-olds?
AK: I think I have more fun than normal 18-year-olds do.
CH: How so?
AK: By proving myself on the court and by playing and winning.
CH: That's my point. Is there any aspect of your life that doesn't involve
tennis?
AK: Well, what do you call fun? Going out and drinking or something?
CH: For me personally, yes. But what about going to a zoo or a park?
AK: I do go to the zoo! Whenever I play tennis in Sydney I go to the zoo there.
I love to feed the pandas and the kangaroos! I even got to hold a kangaroo and
feed it and everything.
CH: Besides the zoo what else do you do outside of tennis?
AK: I like to go to the beach and shopping and rollerblading and I also like to
go to museums.
CH: As a Russian it would be interesting to hear what your taste in music is?
AK: My taste changes all the time in music, because one song is popular for
three days and then there's a new one. I like happy music.
CH: Ricky Martin?
AK: I like his song but I don't know if I'm actually a Ricky Martin fan.
CH: Of all the places you've traveled, which is most special to you?
AK: If I said just one place I'd be lying because every place has its own
advantage.
CH: A few weeks ago you played the French Open, last week you played Wimbledon.
With that in mind, how important is it for you to come to New Jersey and win at
the A&P Tennis Classic at Mahwah?
AK: As important as anything.
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