Anna Kournikova is pregnant and preparing to welcome her fourth child with her partner Enrique Iglesias.
According to Spanish publication Hola the former tennis player, 44, is already halfway through the pregnancy, with a source close to the couple saying that things are progressing well.
The happy news comes month after she was pictured in a wheelchair and wearing a protective boot, sparking an outpouring of concern.
Kournikova and Iglesias, 50, have three kids already – twins Lucy and Nicholas, 7, and another girl, five-year-old Mary.
Earlier in August, Kournikova was pictured in a rare public appearancerunning her children to a martial arts in Miami, allaying fears of any lingering health issues.
The Russian retired from tennis in 2003 and has been with Iglesias since 2001.
The couple, who met on the set of the hitmaker’s music video for his 2001 single ‘Escape,’ have kept a low profile in recent years.
While the 50-year-old Iglesias has been performing to his adoring fans on tour, tennis fans are only granted rare glimpses of Kournikova.
But back in January, she was spotted in the wheelchair while out with loved ones at Bal Harbour, a luxurious shopping center in Miami.
Kournikova was pictured wearing an orthopedic boot on her foot, suggesting she had suffered a recent injury scare but she appeared to have a clear bill of health as she surfaced out-and-about in the SoFlo neighborhood this week.
Iglesias has lived in the Miami area since the late 1990s with Kournikova joining the heartthrob after the couple shacked up.
Kournikova burst onto the scene in the tennis world when she turned professional at the age of 14.
She got as high as eighth in the world rankings but never won a Grand Slam singles title.
But in the doubles, she enjoyed greater success once she partnered up with Martinia Hingis. Together, they won the Australian Open doubles championship in 1999 and again in 2002.
She never officially confirmed that she had retired but her last game was in May 2003 when he was just 21 years old.
Kournikova’s rise was blighted by stress fractures in her back and feet – her foot injuries meant that there was extra concern when she was pictured in a protective boot earlier this year, considering her history.
In an interview with The Guardian the year that she retired, she opened up on the pain she had fought through because of tennis.
‘I will only play the game for as long as I’m having fun. It is important to realise that tennis is not the only thing that matters in life,’ she said.
‘Basically, I’ve had an injury nearly every single year. In ’97 I had a stress fracture and was out for three months; in ’98 I had a torn ligament in my thumb and was out for three months; in ’99 I had another stress fracture for three months; and then in 2001 I didn’t basically play the whole year.’
Kournikova also enjoyed the spotlight away from the court, garnering fame as a model. In 2002, she was voted the world’s sexiest woman, beating the likes of Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, and was also acknowledged as the sexiest female tennis player of all time in 2010.
Kournikova and the ‘Hero’ singer Iglesias added to their property portfolio earlier this year, purchasing another property in Bay Point, a gated community located in Miami Beach.
Iglesias reportedly splashed out $6.5 million on a ‘sprawling mid century’ home, built in 1957, on the same block where the under the radar couple reside, Sabal Palm Road, according to the Miami Herald.
The five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom house is nestled in one of Miami’s most sought-after communities as Kournikova and Iglesias continue to raise their children.
The greatest mystery surrounding their relationship is if the couple have tied the knot or not. Iglesias previously insisted he wasn’t concerned about getting married but he has also referred to Kournikova as ‘my wife.’
When questioned about referring to Anna as his ‘wife’ in 2012, he clarified: ‘It was just meant to be sweet in the moment. I honestly didn’t mean to confuse people. I thought it’d be easier for the audience to understand than if I said ‘my girl.’
‘I’ve never really thought marriage would make a difference. Maybe it’s because I come from divorced parents, but I don’t think you love someone more because of a piece of paper.
‘And nowadays, it’s not taboo to have kids and not be married. What makes a difference is that you’re a good parent, period.’
