A former professional tennis player and model, Russian sensation Anna Kournikova is, without a doubt, one of the hottest and sexiest female athletes to ever hit the world of tennis. Although she has retired from gaming, the public has been watching her as people follow her every move, especially her high-profile romance with another hot and sexy celebrity: pop star Enrique Iglesias.

Rumors about Kournikova and Iglesias’ secret marriage began to surface in 2003 and again in 2005, but the former athlete never confirmed or denied the status of their relationship. In May 2007, she was misquoted to Iglesias as saying that she had no intention of marrying Kournikova, which she later denied and clarified.

Kournikova first made headlines at the age of 13, winning several international junior tennis tournaments. She was 14 years old when she became the ITF Junior Under 18 European Champion and the ITF Junior Under 18 World Champion. The following year, she made her debut at the 1996 US Open and became a member of the Russian delegation at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

Although the sexy Kournikova never won a singles tournament, she proved to be a successful doubles player, winning 16 tournament doubles titles and reaching the No. 1 ranking in doubles in the Women’s Tennis Association. Her highest individual ranking was number 8 and a series of injuries (back and spinal problems) led to her early retirement. Since 2003, she has not participated in tournaments, but still plays exhibition matches for charitable causes. She said that if she was 100% fit, she would like to come back and compete again.

Voted “Sexiest Female Athlete” by ESPN.com, Kournikova was also named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People (1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003) and was ranked No. 1 on the 100 Women list. FHM’s World’s Sexiest (2002) in US and UK editions. She also appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (2004-2005), posing in bikinis and bathing suits.