When
the ATP Tour established a major tournament in Moscow in 1990, Anna would have
the opportunity to show off her skills for the international tennis community.
The 9-year-old prodigy competed in the juniors and soon signed a management deal.
At the close of 1995, she was ranked No. 1 and crowned as ITF Junior World Champion.
She was ready to hit the professional circuit.
Shortly
after turning 15, Anna burst onto the pro scene after much media fanfare by reaching
the fourth round in her first Grand Slam tournament, the '96 U.S. Open, and the
semifinals of her debut at Wimbledon in '97.
In
the subsequent years, she has maintained a consistent presence in the top ten
singles rankings and captured a Grand Slam doubles title with Martina Hingis at
the '99 Australian Open. She tore through the competition en route to a semifinal
appearance at the 2001 Australian Open in Melbourne.
Perhaps
the most heavily sponsored and marketed female athlete in sport today, Anna also
ranks as one of the biggest draws on the entire tennis tour, for her Grand Slam
appearances and often selling out exhibitions from Mahwah, N.J. to Sao Paulo,
Brazil.