A key example of a female athlete becoming successful because of her beauty instead of her athletic ability is Anna Kournikova.
She was the unofficial face of women’s tennis during the late 90’s and early 00’s without actually winning a singles tournament.
During her career, Kournikova, a Russian-American tennis player, won 18 doubles titles and was, at one point, ranked as high as number 8 in the world in singles.
Despite not ever winning a WTA title, Kournikova still managed to make a lot of money and was more valuable off the court than on it.
In the peak of her career Kournikova was the most photographed brand model in world sports.
Most female tennis players have had to deal with being objectified, seen as sex symbols in a way that overlooks achieved in the sporting world but with Anna Kournikova it was taken to the next level.
Even the organisers of the tournaments Anna Kournikova was taking part in were quick to make money from her ‘celebrity’ status and put Kournikova on courts much bigger than someone of her ranking would usually be on.
Many brands stopped using her to sell products that focused on her being a tennis champion, instead they used her to sell products that emphasised her youth and beauty.
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