“I knew I needed to get past Anna Kournikova" - When Maria Sharapova made honest admission after never-ending comparisons to fellow Russian icon

Maria Sharapova once admitted that she needed to overtake Anna Kournikova to get rid of the comparisons between them. Kournikova is one of the most popular tennis stars, who served as an inspiration for many budding talents in Russia.

Kournikova rose to fame as a 16-year-old when she made it to the semifinal of Wimbledon 1997 on her debut. Though she lost to eventual champion Martina Hingis, the young Russian was only kicking her journey off. From there onwards, Kournikova started making deep runs in tournaments and reached a career-high ranking of No.8 in 2000.

However, things didn't go according to her plan as the tennis prodigy started struggling with a string of injuries, due to which her performance saw a massive dip in quality. By 2003, the Russian decided to hang up her racket. She made it to four finals in her entire career, but failed to win even a single WTA title.

Kournikova had achieved much success in doubles, winning two Australian Open titles and reaching the World No. 1. Off the court, as well, she found much success off the court, having modelled for some of the biggest magazines as their cover star. She also had a special appearance in the 2000 film Me, Myself & Irene, starring Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger.

The impact of Kournikova was so huge that Russian stars who came after her were often compared to her. One of them was Maria Sharapova, who trained at Nick Bolletieri's tennis academy, much like Kournikova, and also used to wear her hand-me-downs as a kid. In her autobiography, Unstoppable: My Life So Far, Sharapova said she needed to surpass Anna Kournikova's legacy.

“I knew I needed to get past Kournikova. When I did that, I’d be judged on my own terms.”

Case in point, when Sharapova had just burst onto the scene, she was asked if she would follow Kournikova's route and explore possibilities outside tennis, to which she gave a firm reply.

"I have a really big passion for tennis and that's why I'm here" - When Maria Sharapova denied the desire to follow in Anna Kournikova's footsteps

Maria Sharapova - Source: Getty

During her campaign at the 2004 Italian Open, Maria Sharapova was asked if she could see herself grabbing opportunities outside of tennis like Anna Kournikova. However, the Russian gave a resounding no as her answer, stating that she was really passionate about the sport, and it was why she went pro.

"Well, sitting here and loving the sport, you know, I can't say what I'm going to be doing when I'm older, but I have a really big passion for tennis and that's why I'm here. I am not here to do something else, I'm not here to act or to model. This is my job, and I'm here to do it. And as long as I love it, I'm going to do it," Maria Sharapova said in a press conference.

Maria Sharapova did end up surpassing the on-court achievements of Anna Kournikova. The Russian star completed the career Grand Slam, reached the World No. 1 ranking, won the WTA Finals, and also won an Olympic Silver. She retired from tennis in 2020 and has since been focusing on her other ventures.