Anna Kournikova's Three Children Have Remarkably Normal Lives
Life for the 41-year-old tennis prodigy, Anna Kournikova, has been phenomenal, to say the least. Ever since her move to the United States from Russia, she's been able to find success on the tennis court and weave herself into pop culture. From starting her professional career in 1995 to inevitably retiring due to a back injury in 2001, Kournikova has since found herself achieving other feats of life such as modeling for Sports Illustrated, picking up a fitness training gig on "The Biggest Loser," and — most importantly — being a devoted mother.
Aside from her almost 22-year-long relationship with Latin singer Enrique Iglesias, we don't know much about her personal life at home. Given their stardom, the former tennis player and Latin pop star have been sure to keep their private life under wraps to protect themselves and their family from the public. As a result, they've quietly introduced three children into the world — Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary. Despite Kournikova's private nature, she has photographed many heart-warming moments between her and her three children on Instagram — like her "girl talk" with Mary or her mini dance routine with Lucy hoisted onto her. What else do we know about them? Other than having a healthy home life and being oh-so-cute, several revelations about their personal life may intrigue us fans. Here are some need-to-know facts about Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary to learn more about Kournikova's fast-growing children.
Their births were generally private
When it comes to raising children as public figures, most would generally prefer privacy over public attention for the sake of their children's well-being. Something which many celebrities like Blake Lively and Mindy Kaling have vigorously practiced over the years. Safe to say that Anna Kournikova falls into that list as she was able to hide her pregnancy on two different occasions conveniently. According to Us Weekly, many fans were stunned when they learned that Kournikova gave birth to twins (Lucy and Nicholas) on December 16, 2017. With some modified Instagram selfies and strategically positioned workout videos, Kournikova kept her pregnancy hidden for months before she gave birth. This happened three years later when she made an Instagram post of her holding her newborn Mary on February 13, 2020 (14 days after Mary's birth), captioned, "My sunshine." — surprising her fans yet again on a pregnancy no one knew about.
Following the birth of her twins, Enrique Iglesias' mother, Isabel Preysler, stated that "keeping a low profile is what Kournikova prefers" (per Hola! magazine via Elle). While some speculated that she went through immense trouble hiding her pregnancy, Preysler revealed that maintaining privacy comes naturally for the former tennis player. "Anna has not had to hide herself," she said, "She leads a very simple life and is a homebody." Although we have the privilege to swoon over her three adorable children now, it took some time for Kournikova to introduce her newborns to the world.
Lucy and Nicholas share the same birthday as another set of twins
With Lucy and Nicholas' birthdays coming up, you might expect a celebratory selfie from Anna Kournikova to commemorate the occasion. Though the beloved twins remain hidden from her followers on social media, their birthdays always gave Kournikova an excuse to share snapshots of their ultra-private life on Instagram. With the brief knowledge we have of her children, all we're left to do is twiddle our thumbs as we wait for that next selfie to flood our newsfeed. Ironically enough, Lucy and Nicholas have been — and will be — sharing their birthday with another set of doppelgangers on December 16.
Lucy and Nicholas' birthday twins are none other than The Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson). In a video titled Turning 21 With My Twin, the two celebrated their birthday during quarantine on December 16, 2020 — the same day Kournikova shared birthday snapshots on Instagram of Lucy and Nicholas. The comedic duo found early success on Vine before its demise in 2016. They seamlessly transitioned to YouTube, where they now create a wide range of entertaining content. Their massive success even caught the attention of famous comedian Kevin Hart as they were featured in his YouTube series, "What The Fit." Considering how little we know about Lucy and Nicholas, it's interesting that there's some "twin-ception" between two notable twins.
Nicholas is just like his father
Young kids emulating their parents are to be expected. However, it's a little too early to tell for Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary since we rarely see them interact with each other and their parents. According to their father, it seems like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In an interview with the Spanish magazine Hola!, Enrique Iglesias reveals that Nicholas is the younger version of the Latin artist himself. "I was pretty naughty when I was a kid, and my son Nico reminds me of myself," he told the publication, "I remember when I lived in Madrid and I used to buy firecrackers and throw them at bus stops."
Although we could safely say that the 4-year-old boy doesn't have a passion for lighting firecrackers in public (we hope he doesn't), he does seem to share some of the "naughty" qualities his father was referencing. According to Iglesias' Instagram, he posted a picture of him and the twins spending the 4th of July together. To the right, you can see Lucy posing for the camera in her heart-framed sunglasses while Iglesias — in the middle — does the same in his kooky way. On the other hand, Nicholas chose to have a grimace-like expression that makes us wonder if he even wanted to take the picture in the first place. Despite his seemingly cheerful personality, it seems like Nicholas does have a "bad side," after all.
Their mother's genes, however, are superior
Genes are tricky. Although it is fun to predict who your child will resemble once they're born, it's nearly impossible to understand why some kids look more like one parent than the other. While Enrique Iglesias can relate to Nicholas' naughty behavior, all three kids seemed to have taken more from their mother's gene pool than his. Despite earlier beliefs that Nicholas resembles the 47-year-old musician, it's clear that not only Nicholas but each of their kids are spitting images of Anna Kournikova. Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary all have blond hair and blue eyes, just like the former athlete. According to Iglesias' Instagram, we're not alone in this judgment either.
On October 3, 2019, Iglesias shared a picture of him and Nicholas on Instagram with the caption, "I think he got my genes." This sarcastic gesture seems to be a nod toward the fact that Nicholas — and his other kids — inherited Kournikova's genes and none of his. We can't speak for their personalities, as they might resemble the Latin pop star more in that department. Currently, however, the "I Like It" singer may have to acknowledge that Kournikova's genes reign superior. They're still young, so there is still time for his "Russian meatballs" to resemble their beloved father.
Lucy and Nicholas are accepting of their baby sister, Mary
As children of high class and privacy, newcomers entering the household may confuse the existing residents. According to Enrique Iglesias, this seemed to concern him and Anna Kournikova when it was time to introduce Mary to Lucy and Nicholas (via People). "There's a two-year difference, so I was a little scared. I was like, 'How are they going to react?' And I have two dogs, so my house is chaotic," he said. "When we first came home with Masha [Mary], I was like, 'Oh, how is everybody going to react?'"
Since the twins have been their primary focus, diverting their attention to a newborn could have caused tension within the Iglesias household. Luckily for the parents of three kids — and two dogs — the transition went "smoothly." Not only did they accept their role as big brother and sister, but they were seemingly excited about having a younger sibling in the house. Lucy and Nicholas seem to be comfortable with the amount of attention they're receiving as well. With a newborn entering the mix, Kournikova and Iglesias have given their twins their space while focusing on Mary during her earlier years (via ET Online). Judging from Anna Kournikova's Instagram post of Nicholas driving his sisters around, it seems like the twins and Mary get along quite well.
Seeing their parents display their affection 'throws them off'
Anna Kournikova met her soon-to-be lifetime partner Enrique Iglesias on the set of his "Escape" music video in 2001 — which she starred in. While their chemistry on-screen was magical, the music video contains some not-so-family-friendly material that may be off-putting for Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary. During his appearance on "The Jess Cagle Show" (via YouTube), Iglesias revealed that his kids are not only familiar with his music but aware of the first time he met their mother. "When they watch that video, I think it does throw them off a little bit," he stated, "'What is mom doing there? You know, with dad?'"
What followed after the sensual music video was a relationship spanning over two decades. The introduction of kids throughout their time together has not seemed to affect their love for each other. According to Iglesias, his and Kournikova's sex life has not "diminished" following the birth of their twins (via The Sun). Although we are taught to embrace love, seeing your parents take that extra step in their expression of affection may be unpleasant to watch as kids — especially when they're still in their "cooties" phase. With Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary getting older, it's only natural for them to stumble upon the rare public display of affection their parents shared. While we could applaud Kournikova and Iglesias for keeping that spark alive, their children may prefer for them to express their love for each other behind closed doors.
They aren't pressured to follow in their parent's footsteps
The pressures of success can sneakily alter the trajectory of what a child wants to do with their life — especially if your parents are two megastars like Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias. Even so, if anyone knows what it's like to carry the weight of their parent's desires as a child, it's the former tennis player herself. During her appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" (via YouTube), Kournikova revealed that at the age of five, she was subjected to a strict regimen involving her practicing tennis for six hours daily. Although she stated that she still "had fun on the court," it seemed like she was not a fan of the pressure her parents put on her to be successful. "Looking back at it now, I mean, I would never do that to my kid," she stated.
It's clear that Kournikova and Iglesias understood how coercing your child to live up to your expectations can poorly affect them. Which is why they are seemingly open to whatever their three kids choose as their future career. Although Iglesias appeared to love the idea of his kids on the tennis court (via YouTube), he is intent on allowing them to follow their own dreams. "I want them to do whatever is going to make them happy," he stated during his interview with Lorraine Kelly, "Hopefully I'm going to be a cool, easygoing dad."
They were heavily protected during the pandemic
It's no surprise that Anna Kournikova prefers privacy over public attention. Since Lucy and Nicholas' birth in 2017, we rarely see them outside of their adorable pictures on Instagram. Due to COVID-19, however, drastic measures had to be taken to ensure the safety of her children — especially since she gave birth to Mary before the global lockdown in March 2020. With them residing in Miami, Florida, it's safe to assume that Kournikova and Iglesias kept their home stranger-free. At the time, considering how badly COVID-19 affected Florida, it was frightening for them. According to BBC News, the number of cases in Florida was concerning as it seemed like the state was on a fast track to becoming the epicenter for the disease.
Despite their normal social distancing practices, the two seemed to have a stricter grasp on their privacy due to the pandemic. While their privacy is likely the result of Anna Kournikova's way of life, a source told ET Online the two have been highly selective about who is around their three children. "Enrique and Anna have been very private and have been protective during Covid with not many people getting the chance to be around them," their source stated. Although Covid cases have dropped in numbers, safety precautions should still be practiced. This shouldn't be an issue for the two since they — and their children — usually keep to themselves.
They're learning to speak Spanish and Russian
In addition to wealth and privacy, Lucy, Nicholas, and Mary are all growing up with the knowledge of the culture around them. Anna Kournikova was born in Russia and then relocated to the United States at 10 years old (via CNN). Enrique Iglesias was born in Spain, then eventually moved to Miami when he was only eight years old (via Biography). Knowing this, it's safe to assume that both Kournikova and Iglesias spent their earlier years speaking their native language in their own households. We could also assume that both Kournikova and Iglesias want their kids to learn the native language they grew up hearing around their family. According to the Latin musician, it seems like they've already started that process.
English, Spanish, and Russian are the three languages spoken in their household (via ePrimefeed). With Russian being the hardest one to learn out of the three, Iglesias is willing to help ease the learning process — stating, "I already understand almost everything and can even speak a little Russian." But who better to teach Russian to the kids than Kournikova herself? Iglesias has no doubts that their kids will be fluent in three languages as he states that the former tennis player is an "excellent teacher." Iglesias hopes that learning three languages will provide the kids with the "opportunity to join a variety of cultures."
They've influenced their father to be more responsible
Both Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias admitted their aspirations to be parents. In 2014, Iglesias told CBS that although he could see himself having children, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to have one (via YouTube). "There are days where I could see myself having children," he told CBS, "But at the same time, I want to make sure that I'm here for them as much as possible." Due to his profession, he knew traveling could strain his relationship with his children. Thankfully, he seems to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Aside from "getting no sleep," the birth of Lucy and Nicholas has influenced him to develop healthier, more responsible habits.
While Anna Kournikova's passion for "taking care of people" allowed her to transition into motherhood seamlessly (via The Sun), this transition for Iglesias seemed eye-opening. In his 2018 interview with Lorraine Kelly, Iglesias revealed that fatherhood had changed him for the better — stating that he's become more responsible following the birth of their twins. When asked if fatherhood changed him, Iglesias said, "I mean, I drive slower. I think about stupid things I'm about to do a few more times before I do them." As he gushes over his beloved children, Iglesias suggested that "something clicked" when they were born. "All my friends that have had kids would always tell me 'Something's going to happen, you'll see,'" he told Kelly, "And they were totally right."