Much like her recent counterparts, Anna Kournikova, the first Russian beauty to put the former Soviet republic on the tennis map, earned much of her income from off-court endorsement deals. Now that she is (unofficially) retired from the pro game, Kournikova is still a marketing machine, playing the occasional exhibition and globe trotting on behalf of various names and causes.
She was in Doha, Qatar last month to promote a PGA tournament, alongside Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker, to attend the golf event as well as a meet-and-greet party for sponsors.
Her latest appearance, however, was in Rio de Janeiro just last week, where she attended the annual Carnival festival. It was not Anna’s first trip to Brazil, having traveled to Rio just last November for a photo shoot for her latest backer, K-Swiss.
Carnival is a festival dating back to the mid-19th century, with origins in Europe and influences from African, Latin, and Amerindian cultures. The current festival is a far cry from the more conservative masquerade parties that the upper class bourgeoisie held in private homes. The updated version is one for the masses, who informally take to the streets for one last hurrah before having to abstain from all pleasures of the “flesh,” including eating red meat for the duration of Lent.
The cheerful nature of the celebration sat well with the Russian, who enjoyed her first Carnival experience.
“The singing and the dancing and the elaborate costumes were unbelievably beautiful. It's so amazing how much dedication, time and hard work go into all of the preparation for this event. I never actually realized it.
"There was such an incredible energy in Rio, and every single person is smiling and just having a really great time enjoying the festivities with friends and family. I would so recommend you guys going some day if you have never experienced the Carnival. It was amazing,” she reported in a journal entry on her website.
Kournikova, who now boasts a much more slender physique than the already trim one she strutted on court during her days on the professional circuit, did not shy away from the local cuisine, which she called “unbelievable.”
The four-day event, held 40 days before Easter every year, marks the beginning of Lent for Roman Catholics and is a wild celebration characterized by ornate costumes, samba rhythms and dancing until dawn.
The former Top 10 player was in the Brazilian hotspot, along with Charlie’s Angels star Lucy Liu, on behalf of a brewery that makes Brahma beer, whose midriff-baring t-shirt Kournikova was sporting at an event. Both ladies took in the spectacle of costumes, lights and performances of the parade from a VIP box for the company, who is a local sponsor of the festival. Music mogul Quincy Jones was also on hand.