"You're asking a question & then answering it, who are you to say my confidence is low?" - When Anna Kournikova threatened to walk out of an interview
Anna Kournikova once lost her temper during an interview when she was asked about her 2002 Wimbledon loss. She threatened to walk off the set, expressing her displeasure with the line of questioning.
Kournikova entered the tournament with hopes of winning her maiden Grand Slam title. However, her campaign was short-lived as she was knocked out in the opening round by fellow Russian Tatiana Panova in a hard-fought match. The final score was 1-6, 6-4, 4-6.
Following that, Anna Kournikova appeared for an interview with BBC's Gary Richardson. When Richardson asked about her confidence following the loss, the Russian seemed visibly irritated. She stood up and asked if the interview could be restarted before eventually resuming her position.
"You're asking a question and then you're saying my confidence is low so you're answering it. Who are you to say my confidence is low?" Kournikova asked.
After the situation calmed down, Gary Richardson posed another question, asking if Anna Kournikova was considering stepping down to play in challenger tournaments, similar to what Andre Agassi did to regain his footing.
"Chris Evert, who knows about tennis and I don't, has said Andre Agassi stepped down [to challenger tournaments] and that helped him. Is that something that you might do?"
The former World No. 8 responded:
"Can we try this again? [To Raquel Martin, head of media relations at WTA]. Am I talking about this match or what am I talking about?"
A look into Anna Kournikova's career
Anna Kournikova was highly successful in doubles, winning two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 1999 and 2002, both with partner Martina Hingis. The pair was often referred to as the "Spice Girls of Tennis" due to their popularity and success on the court. They also won several other doubles titles and reached the World No. 1 ranking in doubles.
While she never won a singles title, Kournikova was a consistent presence in the top tier of women’s tennis. Her highest singles ranking was World No. 8, achieved in 2000. She reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1997 at just 16 years old, which remains her best Grand Slam singles performance.
After her retirement from professional tennis in 2003 due to back and spinal injuries, the Russian remained active in the sport, frequently playing in exhibition and charity matches.