Destined To Be More Famous Than The Poster Of The Woman Tennis Player Scratching Her Bare Behind (Anna Kournikova)

Member Name: blackjane

Product:	Anna Kournikova
Date:	15/11/01 (844 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A modestly good tennis player, Stunning body and looks

Disadvantages: Over-rated in many respects

Imagine yourself in the future for a minute - the year is 2026, and two men in their mid-fifties are discussing the sport of tennis and their memories of the sport's great past. Naturally, their discussions soon turn to the women's game - where else would they be able to catch a glance of scantily-clad women, grunting and panting and working up a sweat? Of course, as well as all the great champions, Navratilova, Seles, Hingis, the Williams sisters and the succession of British stars that dominated the game between 2010 and 2025 (yeah right!) they remember with fondness the famous Athena poster from their youth depicting a woman tennis player (she was called 'Samantha' apparently) scratching her bare behind. They also recall distant memories of perhaps the most famous star that the sport ever produced - Anna Kournikova, although they also recall that her fame had stemmed from her natural talents (ie: her body and good looks) rather than her ability with a racket.

Back to present day reality, and it is unlikely that Anna Kournikova (still just twenty years of age) will ever be remembered for her exploits on a tennis court. It is a well known fact that female tennis players have a tendency to peak at a very young age. Of course there are exceptions, but like swimming and gymnastics, women's tennis is a sport that favours the young, and once you're over twenty you have to face it that there is a new crop of youngsters ready to take the place of those that have already had the 'key to the door.'

It is interesting to note that an image search on google.com produces a staggering 15,200 results for "Anna Kournikova" showing just what a worldwide phenomenon she has already become, although this is still half the total of results for a search on "Britney Spears." I am somewhat at a loss to know why a relatively average tennis player who is never likely to become a real star of the game has achieved such not
oriety. There is a whole host of famous celebrities that have used music, films and other sections of the entertainment industry to ensure increased fame and fortune. However, there are precious few that have been able to achieve such widespread acclaim through the medium of sport, and perhaps this is where the appeal of Ms. Kournikova really lies. Perhaps it is the fact that she is a natural exception (ie: an attractive sportswoman!) which is something that people find interesting and unusual.

It is perhaps the biggest injustice of all that despite being ranked outside the top ten in the WTA rankings, Kournikova still earns well in excess of any other woman on the tour. Although she has won in excess of a million dollars in prize money, she has earned many times this amount from sponsorship deals that have been struck off the back of her supermodel looks.

The attention that Anna Kournikova has achieved, despite never rising to the upper echelons in the sport, have reportedly caused some friction and jealousy amongst her fellow players. This is understandable to some extent, as the top players believe that they should be judged on their ability on the court, and not how they appear in front of a camera. Nevertheless, like many walks of life, supply and demand is a grim reality. As long as the general public demands to know about the life of young Ms. Kournikova, and the media keeps on playing into our hands by continuing to serve it up, then the media merry-go-round that scrutinises her every move will just keep going around.

One day perhaps we'll all get bored of the Kournikova phenomenon and see it for what it really is. However, this does not appear likely in the near future, leaving the Russian star to continue to dominate the attention that the sport receives without ever being able to dominate the sport in her own right.

{An original Dooyoo opinion
© Blackjane 2001}

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