Martina Navratilova’s wife, Julia Lemigova, reacted to former tennis player Anna Kournikova’s family post celebrating Spain’s FIFA World Cup victory.
Kournikova, who retired from tennis at the age of 21, shares four children with her longtime partner, Spanish music icon Enrique Iglesias. The couple first met in 2001 during the filming of Enrique’s ‘Escape’ music video, where she played his love interest.
They have been together for over two decades, and they intentionally keep their relationship out of the media spotlight. Although she has added Iglesias to her name on social media, they have not revealed whether they are legally married. They welcomed twins Nicholas and Lucy to their family in December 2017, daughter Mary in January 2020, and their youngest son in December 2025.
She regularly shares family moments on social media, and in her latest update on Instagram, she offered a glimpse of her children celebrating Spain’s FIFA World Cup victory on Sunday. She posted the pictures of Nicholas, Lucy, and Mary posing in Spain’s jersey.
This drew a loving reaction from Navratilova’s wife, Lemigova, who dropped a sweet comment that read:
“❤️❤️❤️”
When Martina Navratilova backed Anna Kournikova after Wimbledon coverage
In July 2002, Martina Navratilova slammed the BBC over what she described as sexist coverage of Anna Kournikova and other female players during Wimbledon.
The controversy began after Kournikova threatened to walk out of a post-match interview with BBC presenter Garry Richardson. The latter asked if her confidence was low, questioning her form, and suggested she play lower-tier tournaments after her loss to Tatiana Panova in the opening round.
Following this, she stood up and asked the interview to be restarted. However, the BBC later aired the entire unedited exchange, prompting WTA to file a formal complaint, arguing that the broadcast was insensitive. Defending Kournikova at the time, Navratilova said:
“When the guy was asking her about her match she didn’t like it so she walked. She started the interview again. Then he says to her, OK, well you lost your match today, how was your day? Would he say that to Pete Sampras after he just lost a match? Never, ever. You do not treat men the same way as you treat women. The guy showed no respect for her as a human being, never mind as a tennis player. That was just a nasty way, I think,” said Martina Navratilova.
She added:
“I don’t think she’s really courted attention, certainly not as much in the last couple of years. She has been very serious about trying to become a better tennis player and I believe the results will come. Anna has created a whole new market, a whole new base of fans who want to come and see her play. She’s not the one taking pictures of herself and putting them on page three.”
Anna Kournikova has won a total of 16 WTA doubles titles during her professional tennis career, including two Grand Slam doubles championships.
Read more:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
