~BBW, Eating, ~MWG – a year off without exercise and a state of denial transforms a one-time tennis star
Anna Kournikova was in the best shape of her career so far. With just 2 weeks until Wimbledon, she was feeling strong and fit, and was down to a trim 114lbs. Many top pundits were tipping her for the biggest prize in tennis, and she was feeling good. Anna was sticking to her intensive training program.
Suddenly, as she was jogging along the baseline, she felt a dull pain in her ankle, which worsened with each step. She took a seat while her physio took a look at her ankle. He soon decided that she better go to the hospital for an X-ray. After an agonizing wait, her worst fears were confirmed. A minor fracture of the ankle. She was told to keep off it for a month.
Anna broke down in tears; she was going to miss what could be the big break of her career. For the next 2 weeks, Anna sat in her hotel room, overlooking London's Hyde Park, feeling sorry for herself.
Anna felt so lonely, especially after the recent high-profile break-up of her engagement to hockey player Pavel Bure, and she turned to the only thing she could think of for comfort, food. She was clearing her mini-bar out daily of crisps, chocolate, nuts and drinks. On top of this, she was stuffing herself to capacity at meals in the restaurant. Inevitably, this was having an effect on Anna's waistline, but as she was lounging around in tracksuits, she didn't notice.
It was 2 days before the start of Wimbledon, and a scorching London day. Anna had deluded herself that her injury had healed, and with much begging, convinced her trainer to help her with a training session, believing she could still make Wimbledon. Anna went to her room and took out one of her tops and a skirt. She did the button on her skirt, and zipped it up. She noted that it was rather tight, but thought nothing of it and pulled her top on. They reached the court, and Anna started with some gentle jogging, although she felt rather sluggish.
Then it happened. As she reached the baseline, she screamed in pain and collapsed to the floor. Her trainer helped her up, and helped her limp to the car. After an X-ray, Anna was told she's worsened the injury, and she'd be out for the remainder of the season. Anna, again, wept on the way back to the hotel, and as soon as they arrived, she hobbled up to her room and shut the door. She emptied the contents of her rather large mini-bar on to the bed and started to eat. She binged solidly for the next hour and a half until she fell asleep, her eyes burning with tears.
Anna hobbled towards Centre Court on Monday morning to watch the opening match between defending champion Venus Williams, and a 16-year-old unknown from Italy called Roberta Platini. Anna was stopped a couple of times by well-wishers and autograph hunters.
Just as she was about to go through the entrance to the court, Anna noticed the refreshments stall, and decided to get something to eat. She ordered a hot dog, a bottle of Coke, and a large portion of the world famous, Strawberries and Cream. She handed over a £10 note, and made her way, uneasily, to her seat, and had devoured her food by the time the players came out on to the court.
Anna popped back to the refreshment stall on a few occasions throughout the day, as she watched Venus destroy the young Italian hopeful 6-1, 6-0, as well as the other matches that day. Anna continued the tournament like this enjoying the tennis a lot, and enjoying her strawberries and cream even more!
This new lifestyle was having a big effect on Anna's weight, and her, usually, rock-hard toned stomach, had given way to a sizeable soft belly. This went unnoticed to everyone though, as it was proving to be yet another chilly Wimbledon, and Anna was covered up in tracksuits all the time.
Almost 3 weeks later, it was the ladies' final day. Overcast skies, and brisk winds had given way to a scorching sun and no breeze at all. The temperature was up into the 30's. Anna got out of bed, took a shower and got some clothes out. She let her robe fall to the floor, and admired her body in the full-length mirror. She noticed that her athletic body was looking a little larger than it did 5 weeks ago, but she felt there was nothing she could do about it.
Anna picked up the black pair of shorts and pulled them up her legs. She started having trouble when they reached her hips, and really had to tug at them to get them up. She cursed at how tight they were, and pulled her orange strappy top on. Anna arrived at the Wimbledon complex 30 minutes later, and made straight for the refreshments stall, and left with 2 portions of strawberries and cream, and an ice cream.
Anna took her seat, and scarfed her food rather quickly, and nipped back for more strawberries and cream, which she ate as she watched her former doubles partner Martina Hingis beat defending champion Venus Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Anna left quickly at the end of the match, and picked up an ice cream on her way out. She made her way back to the hotel, and spent the rest of the day in her room watching the highlights of the tournament.
The next day, a picture of Anna, taken at the final the previous day, appeared in one of the national tabloids. It showed a smiling Anna clutching an ice cream, and sporting a potbelly, and substantial love handles, spilling over the waistband of her shorts. Fortunately Anna didn't see this picture. Anna got dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse, and was driven to Heathrow Airport, ready for her flight back to her home in Miami.
Anna's flight took off in time, and she was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed the in-flight meal, for once. She also bought a couple of chocolate bars from the refreshment trolley. When Anna landed at Miami Airport, she got straight into a taxi, and told the driver her address, and to get her home. The driver recognized her, and said how sorry he was about her injury. She thanked him for his concern, and smiled sweetly.
When she arrived home, she paid the driver, and gave him a large tip, for which he thanked her. He also admired her butt, straining the too-tight jeans, as she walked to her front door. Anna went straight to her room, and changed into something more comfortable. She spent the remainder of the day sorting through the mail she had received whilst she was away, before getting an early night.
Anna rose early the next day, and was glad to see the sun shining brightly through a gap in her curtains. She went downstairs, made some breakfast for herself, and ate it, before returning to her bedroom. Anna decided that she would work on her tan today, as she pulled out her favorite bikini.
She undressed and pulled the bikini top over her head, and her breasts. It was a little tight. She then pulled the thong bottoms over her thighs, and again met resistance at her hips, and had to tug them hard to get them on. Anna caught a glimpse of her rear in the mirror, as she was leaving the room, and was pleased at how full and round it looked. She spent the day by the pool, taking in rays, and nipping inside for a little snack on a number of occasions.
Anna continued life like this for the next few months, enjoying the break from her hectic schedule. And her body was totally changing. Her potbelly was developing into a gut, her butt was becoming very large, and losing firmness. Her once muscular thighs were becoming fat and flabby, and her chest was growing as well. By the time the U.S. Open rolled around, Anna didn't feel like going to Flushing Meadow to watch it, so she sat at home and watched it on T.V.
A couple of weeks before Christmas, Anna went to the hospital, as it was time to have her cast removed. After a short wait, the cast was taken off, and Anna talked to the consultant about what she should do now. He said that she could start to walk, but mustn't go back to playing professional tennis for at least 2 months. Anna was quite upset about that, as she hoped to make her comeback at the Australian Open.
She was consoled slightly, when the consultant said she could go back to training in January though. He joked that she'd have to wait until then to get back in shape, to which Anna smiled wryly. Anna always looked forward to Christmas, and couldn't wait till her parents flew over from Moscow.
Three days before Christmas, Anna woke up, and her first thought was of her parents. She jumped out of bed and checked the Teletext on her T.V.; the flight with her parents on was on time, due to land in just over 2 hours. Anna was interrupted by the sound of her tummy growling. She went to the kitchen and made some breakfast for herself, ate it quickly, and went back up to her room.
She went in her underwear drawer and pulled out one of her favourite thongs. She pulled it up, and looked at herself in the mirror. She was bothered about her tummy, and how it stuck out over the waistband, but figured she couldn't do anything about it now.
Anna pulled out a pair of jeans, and had to fight for a few minutes before she could get the button to meet, before zipping them up. She grimaced slightly as she let her breath out, as the jeans dug into her fleshy stomach. She quickly pulled a t-shirt on, and jogged out to her car. Anna was quite surprised to find she was breathing harder by the time she reached the car.
She hopped into the car and quickly drove to the airport, about an hour from her mansion. When she arrived at the airport, there was still another 40 minutes until the flight was due to arrive. She decided to nip into the shop, and bought a bottle of Coke and 2 chocolate bars, to pass the time. The girl on the checkout recognized her, and Anna was only too pleased to give an autograph. Anna went and sat in the arrivals hall, munching on her chocolate bars.
As she sat down, she let out a little groan, as the jeans cut deep into soft tummy. She pulled them down under her tummy, and felt much better. Just as she was finishing her Coke, her parents walked through the gate, and Anna jumped up and ran to meet them. After the small talk, her mother commented on Anna's new figure. Anna explained to her that she couldn't help it, as she hadn't been able to get any exercise, which satisfied her mother.
The next couple of days were spent overindulging and relaxing. Anna clothes were becoming increasingly tight, well the ones that still fit anyway, most of her wardrobe was too small for her, and that was her 2nd new one too. She wasn't aware that she had piled on over 50lbs since her injury.
Anna heaved herself out of bed early on Christmas morning and went downstairs. Her mother was cooking a big breakfast, sausages, bacon, eggs, all the trimmings. Anna gobbled up the first plate, and filled her plate a second time, which she also finished no problem, she thought about thirds, but then decided against it.
She walked back up to her room, and pulled her favorite black dress out of the wardrobe. She pulled it up her thighs and over her hips. Anna struggled with the dress for the next 5 minutes, as she tried to get it zipped up, but she couldn't get it up more than a few inches, before slumping back on to her bed. There was a knock at the door, and Anna told them to come in.
Her mother asked her what was wrong, and Anna told her about the trouble with the dress, and asked her mother to help her with it. Anna's mother frowned, and stood behind Anna and took hold of the zip. Anna breathed in as much as she could, while her mother pulled the zip up, but even with this, it still took nearly about 30 seconds to get it up all the way. Anna quickly breathed out, and felt the seams of the dress strain over her belly, which worried her for a moment. She thanked her mother and they both went downstairs.
A few hours later, the main dinner was ready, and the family sat around the table. They began to eat. Around 2 hours later, they all sat back in their chairs, stuffed to the brim, Anna even more so. After another half-hour, Anna, uneasily heaved herself up from the table. She immediately knew she'd overdone it, and struggled to catch her breath, from her overstuffed, bloated stomach.
She struggled to walk from the table to the kitchen with the leftovers. Anna finished the cleaning up, and went into the sitting room and plopped down in the big armchair, and dozed off after a few minutes, with her hands resting on her bloated tummy.
Anna awoke a few hours later, and felt much better, her stomach had shrunk a bit, but was still looking a little bloated, and went into the kitchen. Anna, against common sense, piled her plate high with leftovers, and other snack foods, and took it to the table. She soon devoured this plate, and was rather surprised to find that she wanted more food.
Anna got up from the table and again filled her plate with food. She began to struggle after about half of this second plate, but kept eating, albeit slowly. Anna was feeling a little ill as she forced the last piece of turkey into her mouth. Her dress was really beginning to strain as she sat back in her chair. She heaved herself out of the chair, and put her plate in the kitchen, and slowly climbed the stairs.
When Anna reached her room, she locked her door. She reached behind herself and located the zip. She pulled it down about an inch, before it quickly shot all the way down, which startled Anna, as her tummy pushed forward, free from the tight confine. She slowly took her bra and knickers off, and dropped into bed, exhausted, and feeling extremely bloated. She quickly dropped into a deep sleep.
By the time her family left in early January, Anna had grown even larger. Anna planned to get back to training on January 13th. Anna's body had gone through a complete transformation from how it had been just over 6 months before.
Her once strong arms had become flabby. Anna's lovely 34C breasts had grown to a 36DD and were beginning to sag. Her once flat stomach was now a fully-fledged gut, which rested on her upper thighs, when she sat, and was littered with stretch marks. Her ass, once round and firm, had become much larger, and formed a shelf at the base of her spine. Anna's much photographed legs, had gone from being well toned and muscled, were now thick and flabby, with hints of cellulite on the backs of them.
Anna never did get back to training on January 13th , or February 13th, or March 13th...well you get the picture, she never did get back in training. Which means she was all the more surprised to get a phone call on June 19th to find out she'd got the wild card selection for Wimbledon, due to start on June 27th.
Anna's days in the intervening months had consisted of watching T.V., relaxing by the pool, napping, and of course eating to her hearts content. Unsurprisingly, the effect on Anna's figure was considerable. She'd gained weight to every part of her body, but most of all, her belly. Gone was the toned washboard stomach of old, replaced by a wobbling, flabby belly, still perfectly tanned from Anna's daily poolside bathing sessions. It formed 2 large rolls when she sat up, and hung several inches over her bikini bottoms.
Anna had just over a week to get everything prepared. She'd been drawn against Venus Williams, the defending champion, and Anna knew it would be a very tough match, especially after a year out.
British Airways Flight 608 was due to leave Miami at 14.20 on 21st June. Anna awoke early on the Friday, to make her final preparations before leaving for England. The reality that she'd really gained a lot of weight had finally struck her, and she was worried.
Anna took a bath and avoided her reflection in the full-length mirror when she got out. She dried herself off and sat on the edge of her bed, and sighed at the sight of her belly resting on her thighs. She squeezed herself into a pair of jeans, after struggling with the button for a few seconds, and a jumper, which she hoped would hide her size a bit.
After sorting a final few bits out, she jumped into her Jeep and drove the short journey to the Airport. She put on a baseball cap as she parked at the long stay car park, not wanting to be recognized. She sailed through passport control, and soon enough took her seat in business class on the plane, with only 2 other people in the section. Anna quickly devoured her meal 2 hours into the flight, and unsurprisingly found she was still hungry. She called the stewardess over, and placed an order for 2 bags of Doritos and 3 chocolate bars. The stewardess came back with her order 5 minutes later; Anna paid for her food and thanked her.
Half an hour later, the food was gone, and Anna drifted off to sleep with Charlie's Angels playing in the background. On landing at Heathrow, Anna again sailed through customs and jumped in a taxi to her hotel. She checked in and made her way to her room. Once inside, she ordered a room service dinner of cheeseburger and French fries. Anna flicked through the T.V. channels while waiting for her meal to arrive. Before long, it did, and after eating it, Anna undressed and took a shower, before going to bed.
Despite her promises to herself, Anna didn't train on the Saturday, or the Sunday, or the Monday...again, you get the picture, much preferring to laze around in her hotel room. On the Wednesday, Anna phoned her kit suppliers Adidas, to arrange to go to their factory, so she could pick up some new gear to play in.
She dressed in jeans and a blouse, and covered up with a large, full-length coat, which went a long way to disguise her size, although not totally. She arrived at the factory at just after 11am, and was greeted warmly by an Adidas representative, who noted she was looking larger. Anna was left to walk around the factory, and pick out whatever she wanted.
She was worried that they wouldn't stock tennis clothing in her size, but was pleased to find that Adidas stocked up to UK size 20, and she estimated that she was an 18 herself. She was glad that she wasn't being accompanied around, so she could select her sizes without being watched by someone. After an hour, Anna picked out 2 skirts, 3 pairs of cycling shorts, 3 t-shirts and a waterproof jacket all in size 18, as well as 3 racquets, a holdall and a baseball cap. She packed all the gear into the holdall, thanked the man, and made her way back to the hotel.
Once back, she dumped all her stuff the room, and went to the restaurant. Anna satisfied her hunger with a large portion of lasagne and chips, 3 glasses of Coke and a large portion of chocolate cheesecake. She went back up to her room and took a nap. After waking up at about 6pm, she went down to the restaurant, and had exactly the same meal she had for lunch.
Feeling happily full, she went back to her room and decided to try on her new gear Anna stripped off and picked an item out of the holdall. She tugged the pair of white cycling shorts up her thick thighs, and found they fit comfortably, although they did have a lot of stretch in them. Next she reached for a skirt, and found it slightly difficult to button and zip, but not too bad. Finally she picked up one of her tops and pulled it over her head and down over her breasts and belly, and she was relieved to see it covered her belly, though only just.
She decided to try a little workout to prepare herself for the match. Anna reached down to touch her toes, and found that by the time she reached her knees, her belly was creating resistance, and was poking out under her top. Anna frowned. She lay on the floor, and placed her hands behind her head, in position for some sit-ups, setting herself a mental target of 100. 5 minutes and 7 sit-ups later, Anna lay back, breathing heavily, and sweating.
She heaved herself up off the floor, and walked to the bathroom, realizing she had to face her problem. She pulled her top over her head, and unfastened her skirt, letting it fall to the floor. She then peeled the shorts off, and unclipped her bra. Anna turned to face the full-length mirror, in all her naked glory. She gasped. Anna stood and stared at herself, for what seemed like hours, but in reality was a matter of 30 seconds or so.
The breasts, the belly, the hips, the thighs. They had nothing in common to what she remembered. She cupped her hands underneath her vast stomach, and lifted it up, shocked by its sheer weight. Anna dropped it, and watched it wobble for about 5 seconds. She couldn't take any more of this. Anna walked to the bathroom door, and was about to leave the room, when she spotted it in the corner.
A scale. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to. She walked over to the scale, and stepped up, 1 foot, 2 feet, and closed her eyes, as the dial shot-up. Anna opened her eyes 10 seconds later, and looked down. 206lbs. Anna's first thought was that it must be wrong. Then she remembered her reflection. The size 18's. The lack of exercise. How much she'd eaten in the last 12 months. It slowly sunk in. She stepped of the scale and walked to her bed, and got in. Anna cried herself to sleep that night.
The morning of the match. Anna was due on court at 11am. She woke at 8, and decided against breakfast. Anna's car was due to arrive at the hotel at 9am to ferry her to the Wimbledon complex. She quickly showered, and made sure she avoided seeing her reflection in the mirror. Dressing in a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms, a t-shirt, and her big coat, Anna had never felt so nervous.
She packed her holdall and made her way downstairs to the car, quickly getting in. Half an hour later, she arrived, right outside her dressing room. She greeted the doorman, who let her in. Anna spent the next hour trying to calm her nerves and convince herself it wouldn't be so bad. She could hear her legion of fans making their way into the stands, and chanting her name. She felt sick. At 10.30am, she got dressed into her tennis kit.
20 minutes later the bell in her dressing room sounded, this was it. She picked up her holdall, and left the dressing room. In the corridor, she met her opponent Venus Williams, and they greeted each other warmly, though Venus couldn't hide her surprise at Anna's size. The crowd were again chanting Anna's name, anticipating the entrance of the former sex-bomb, after a year away.
The doors opened, and the noise deafened Anna. The 2 players walked out on to the court, and the chanting turned into a stunned silence. The best the T.V. commentator could muster up was 'She's not looking in the best of shape'.
Anna waved to the stunned crowd, which resulted in her shirt riding up and displaying her belly, to which she quickly reached down, and embarrassedly tugged the shirt down. They went through the formalities, the Russian's cheeks hot with embarrassment. Venus Williams won the serve.
47 minutes later, Anna was walking back to her dressing room, after being embarrassed 6-0, 6-0 by Venus. She was hot, sweaty and gasping for breath, and nearly in tears from her ordeal. She flew back to America the next day, with the newspapers coverage of Wimbledon dominated by the story of Anna's weight. None of the papers could resist making estimations of her weight, which ranged from 180lbs in The Guardian, to 225lbs in The Mirror.
After a failed attempt at getting back into shape with a personal trainer, Anna announced her retirement from international tennis on the 22nd January 2003, at the weight of 229lbs.
After a short stint with plus-size modeling company Lane Bryant, Anna reportedly took up with a PR executive who appreciated largher women. She bowed out of the spotlight to her house in Florida, happy she was finally free and loved.
Anna Kournikova
By The Aftershow
(Retrieved by Zachi)
By The Aftershow
(Retrieved by Zachi)
Anna Kournikova was in the best shape of her career so far. With just 2 weeks until Wimbledon, she was feeling strong and fit, and was down to a trim 114lbs. Many top pundits were tipping her for the biggest prize in tennis, and she was feeling good. Anna was sticking to her intensive training program.
Suddenly, as she was jogging along the baseline, she felt a dull pain in her ankle, which worsened with each step. She took a seat while her physio took a look at her ankle. He soon decided that she better go to the hospital for an X-ray. After an agonizing wait, her worst fears were confirmed. A minor fracture of the ankle. She was told to keep off it for a month.
Anna broke down in tears; she was going to miss what could be the big break of her career. For the next 2 weeks, Anna sat in her hotel room, overlooking London's Hyde Park, feeling sorry for herself.
Anna felt so lonely, especially after the recent high-profile break-up of her engagement to hockey player Pavel Bure, and she turned to the only thing she could think of for comfort, food. She was clearing her mini-bar out daily of crisps, chocolate, nuts and drinks. On top of this, she was stuffing herself to capacity at meals in the restaurant. Inevitably, this was having an effect on Anna's waistline, but as she was lounging around in tracksuits, she didn't notice.
It was 2 days before the start of Wimbledon, and a scorching London day. Anna had deluded herself that her injury had healed, and with much begging, convinced her trainer to help her with a training session, believing she could still make Wimbledon. Anna went to her room and took out one of her tops and a skirt. She did the button on her skirt, and zipped it up. She noted that it was rather tight, but thought nothing of it and pulled her top on. They reached the court, and Anna started with some gentle jogging, although she felt rather sluggish.
Then it happened. As she reached the baseline, she screamed in pain and collapsed to the floor. Her trainer helped her up, and helped her limp to the car. After an X-ray, Anna was told she's worsened the injury, and she'd be out for the remainder of the season. Anna, again, wept on the way back to the hotel, and as soon as they arrived, she hobbled up to her room and shut the door. She emptied the contents of her rather large mini-bar on to the bed and started to eat. She binged solidly for the next hour and a half until she fell asleep, her eyes burning with tears.
Anna hobbled towards Centre Court on Monday morning to watch the opening match between defending champion Venus Williams, and a 16-year-old unknown from Italy called Roberta Platini. Anna was stopped a couple of times by well-wishers and autograph hunters.
Just as she was about to go through the entrance to the court, Anna noticed the refreshments stall, and decided to get something to eat. She ordered a hot dog, a bottle of Coke, and a large portion of the world famous, Strawberries and Cream. She handed over a £10 note, and made her way, uneasily, to her seat, and had devoured her food by the time the players came out on to the court.
Anna popped back to the refreshment stall on a few occasions throughout the day, as she watched Venus destroy the young Italian hopeful 6-1, 6-0, as well as the other matches that day. Anna continued the tournament like this enjoying the tennis a lot, and enjoying her strawberries and cream even more!
This new lifestyle was having a big effect on Anna's weight, and her, usually, rock-hard toned stomach, had given way to a sizeable soft belly. This went unnoticed to everyone though, as it was proving to be yet another chilly Wimbledon, and Anna was covered up in tracksuits all the time.
Almost 3 weeks later, it was the ladies' final day. Overcast skies, and brisk winds had given way to a scorching sun and no breeze at all. The temperature was up into the 30's. Anna got out of bed, took a shower and got some clothes out. She let her robe fall to the floor, and admired her body in the full-length mirror. She noticed that her athletic body was looking a little larger than it did 5 weeks ago, but she felt there was nothing she could do about it.
Anna picked up the black pair of shorts and pulled them up her legs. She started having trouble when they reached her hips, and really had to tug at them to get them up. She cursed at how tight they were, and pulled her orange strappy top on. Anna arrived at the Wimbledon complex 30 minutes later, and made straight for the refreshments stall, and left with 2 portions of strawberries and cream, and an ice cream.
Anna took her seat, and scarfed her food rather quickly, and nipped back for more strawberries and cream, which she ate as she watched her former doubles partner Martina Hingis beat defending champion Venus Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Anna left quickly at the end of the match, and picked up an ice cream on her way out. She made her way back to the hotel, and spent the rest of the day in her room watching the highlights of the tournament.
The next day, a picture of Anna, taken at the final the previous day, appeared in one of the national tabloids. It showed a smiling Anna clutching an ice cream, and sporting a potbelly, and substantial love handles, spilling over the waistband of her shorts. Fortunately Anna didn't see this picture. Anna got dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse, and was driven to Heathrow Airport, ready for her flight back to her home in Miami.
Anna's flight took off in time, and she was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed the in-flight meal, for once. She also bought a couple of chocolate bars from the refreshment trolley. When Anna landed at Miami Airport, she got straight into a taxi, and told the driver her address, and to get her home. The driver recognized her, and said how sorry he was about her injury. She thanked him for his concern, and smiled sweetly.
When she arrived home, she paid the driver, and gave him a large tip, for which he thanked her. He also admired her butt, straining the too-tight jeans, as she walked to her front door. Anna went straight to her room, and changed into something more comfortable. She spent the remainder of the day sorting through the mail she had received whilst she was away, before getting an early night.
Anna rose early the next day, and was glad to see the sun shining brightly through a gap in her curtains. She went downstairs, made some breakfast for herself, and ate it, before returning to her bedroom. Anna decided that she would work on her tan today, as she pulled out her favorite bikini.
She undressed and pulled the bikini top over her head, and her breasts. It was a little tight. She then pulled the thong bottoms over her thighs, and again met resistance at her hips, and had to tug them hard to get them on. Anna caught a glimpse of her rear in the mirror, as she was leaving the room, and was pleased at how full and round it looked. She spent the day by the pool, taking in rays, and nipping inside for a little snack on a number of occasions.
Anna continued life like this for the next few months, enjoying the break from her hectic schedule. And her body was totally changing. Her potbelly was developing into a gut, her butt was becoming very large, and losing firmness. Her once muscular thighs were becoming fat and flabby, and her chest was growing as well. By the time the U.S. Open rolled around, Anna didn't feel like going to Flushing Meadow to watch it, so she sat at home and watched it on T.V.
A couple of weeks before Christmas, Anna went to the hospital, as it was time to have her cast removed. After a short wait, the cast was taken off, and Anna talked to the consultant about what she should do now. He said that she could start to walk, but mustn't go back to playing professional tennis for at least 2 months. Anna was quite upset about that, as she hoped to make her comeback at the Australian Open.
She was consoled slightly, when the consultant said she could go back to training in January though. He joked that she'd have to wait until then to get back in shape, to which Anna smiled wryly. Anna always looked forward to Christmas, and couldn't wait till her parents flew over from Moscow.
Three days before Christmas, Anna woke up, and her first thought was of her parents. She jumped out of bed and checked the Teletext on her T.V.; the flight with her parents on was on time, due to land in just over 2 hours. Anna was interrupted by the sound of her tummy growling. She went to the kitchen and made some breakfast for herself, ate it quickly, and went back up to her room.
She went in her underwear drawer and pulled out one of her favourite thongs. She pulled it up, and looked at herself in the mirror. She was bothered about her tummy, and how it stuck out over the waistband, but figured she couldn't do anything about it now.
Anna pulled out a pair of jeans, and had to fight for a few minutes before she could get the button to meet, before zipping them up. She grimaced slightly as she let her breath out, as the jeans dug into her fleshy stomach. She quickly pulled a t-shirt on, and jogged out to her car. Anna was quite surprised to find she was breathing harder by the time she reached the car.
She hopped into the car and quickly drove to the airport, about an hour from her mansion. When she arrived at the airport, there was still another 40 minutes until the flight was due to arrive. She decided to nip into the shop, and bought a bottle of Coke and 2 chocolate bars, to pass the time. The girl on the checkout recognized her, and Anna was only too pleased to give an autograph. Anna went and sat in the arrivals hall, munching on her chocolate bars.
As she sat down, she let out a little groan, as the jeans cut deep into soft tummy. She pulled them down under her tummy, and felt much better. Just as she was finishing her Coke, her parents walked through the gate, and Anna jumped up and ran to meet them. After the small talk, her mother commented on Anna's new figure. Anna explained to her that she couldn't help it, as she hadn't been able to get any exercise, which satisfied her mother.
The next couple of days were spent overindulging and relaxing. Anna clothes were becoming increasingly tight, well the ones that still fit anyway, most of her wardrobe was too small for her, and that was her 2nd new one too. She wasn't aware that she had piled on over 50lbs since her injury.
Anna heaved herself out of bed early on Christmas morning and went downstairs. Her mother was cooking a big breakfast, sausages, bacon, eggs, all the trimmings. Anna gobbled up the first plate, and filled her plate a second time, which she also finished no problem, she thought about thirds, but then decided against it.
She walked back up to her room, and pulled her favorite black dress out of the wardrobe. She pulled it up her thighs and over her hips. Anna struggled with the dress for the next 5 minutes, as she tried to get it zipped up, but she couldn't get it up more than a few inches, before slumping back on to her bed. There was a knock at the door, and Anna told them to come in.
Her mother asked her what was wrong, and Anna told her about the trouble with the dress, and asked her mother to help her with it. Anna's mother frowned, and stood behind Anna and took hold of the zip. Anna breathed in as much as she could, while her mother pulled the zip up, but even with this, it still took nearly about 30 seconds to get it up all the way. Anna quickly breathed out, and felt the seams of the dress strain over her belly, which worried her for a moment. She thanked her mother and they both went downstairs.
A few hours later, the main dinner was ready, and the family sat around the table. They began to eat. Around 2 hours later, they all sat back in their chairs, stuffed to the brim, Anna even more so. After another half-hour, Anna, uneasily heaved herself up from the table. She immediately knew she'd overdone it, and struggled to catch her breath, from her overstuffed, bloated stomach.
She struggled to walk from the table to the kitchen with the leftovers. Anna finished the cleaning up, and went into the sitting room and plopped down in the big armchair, and dozed off after a few minutes, with her hands resting on her bloated tummy.
Anna awoke a few hours later, and felt much better, her stomach had shrunk a bit, but was still looking a little bloated, and went into the kitchen. Anna, against common sense, piled her plate high with leftovers, and other snack foods, and took it to the table. She soon devoured this plate, and was rather surprised to find that she wanted more food.
Anna got up from the table and again filled her plate with food. She began to struggle after about half of this second plate, but kept eating, albeit slowly. Anna was feeling a little ill as she forced the last piece of turkey into her mouth. Her dress was really beginning to strain as she sat back in her chair. She heaved herself out of the chair, and put her plate in the kitchen, and slowly climbed the stairs.
When Anna reached her room, she locked her door. She reached behind herself and located the zip. She pulled it down about an inch, before it quickly shot all the way down, which startled Anna, as her tummy pushed forward, free from the tight confine. She slowly took her bra and knickers off, and dropped into bed, exhausted, and feeling extremely bloated. She quickly dropped into a deep sleep.
By the time her family left in early January, Anna had grown even larger. Anna planned to get back to training on January 13th. Anna's body had gone through a complete transformation from how it had been just over 6 months before.
Her once strong arms had become flabby. Anna's lovely 34C breasts had grown to a 36DD and were beginning to sag. Her once flat stomach was now a fully-fledged gut, which rested on her upper thighs, when she sat, and was littered with stretch marks. Her ass, once round and firm, had become much larger, and formed a shelf at the base of her spine. Anna's much photographed legs, had gone from being well toned and muscled, were now thick and flabby, with hints of cellulite on the backs of them.
Anna never did get back to training on January 13th , or February 13th, or March 13th...well you get the picture, she never did get back in training. Which means she was all the more surprised to get a phone call on June 19th to find out she'd got the wild card selection for Wimbledon, due to start on June 27th.
Anna's days in the intervening months had consisted of watching T.V., relaxing by the pool, napping, and of course eating to her hearts content. Unsurprisingly, the effect on Anna's figure was considerable. She'd gained weight to every part of her body, but most of all, her belly. Gone was the toned washboard stomach of old, replaced by a wobbling, flabby belly, still perfectly tanned from Anna's daily poolside bathing sessions. It formed 2 large rolls when she sat up, and hung several inches over her bikini bottoms.
Anna had just over a week to get everything prepared. She'd been drawn against Venus Williams, the defending champion, and Anna knew it would be a very tough match, especially after a year out.
British Airways Flight 608 was due to leave Miami at 14.20 on 21st June. Anna awoke early on the Friday, to make her final preparations before leaving for England. The reality that she'd really gained a lot of weight had finally struck her, and she was worried.
Anna took a bath and avoided her reflection in the full-length mirror when she got out. She dried herself off and sat on the edge of her bed, and sighed at the sight of her belly resting on her thighs. She squeezed herself into a pair of jeans, after struggling with the button for a few seconds, and a jumper, which she hoped would hide her size a bit.
After sorting a final few bits out, she jumped into her Jeep and drove the short journey to the Airport. She put on a baseball cap as she parked at the long stay car park, not wanting to be recognized. She sailed through passport control, and soon enough took her seat in business class on the plane, with only 2 other people in the section. Anna quickly devoured her meal 2 hours into the flight, and unsurprisingly found she was still hungry. She called the stewardess over, and placed an order for 2 bags of Doritos and 3 chocolate bars. The stewardess came back with her order 5 minutes later; Anna paid for her food and thanked her.
Half an hour later, the food was gone, and Anna drifted off to sleep with Charlie's Angels playing in the background. On landing at Heathrow, Anna again sailed through customs and jumped in a taxi to her hotel. She checked in and made her way to her room. Once inside, she ordered a room service dinner of cheeseburger and French fries. Anna flicked through the T.V. channels while waiting for her meal to arrive. Before long, it did, and after eating it, Anna undressed and took a shower, before going to bed.
Despite her promises to herself, Anna didn't train on the Saturday, or the Sunday, or the Monday...again, you get the picture, much preferring to laze around in her hotel room. On the Wednesday, Anna phoned her kit suppliers Adidas, to arrange to go to their factory, so she could pick up some new gear to play in.
She dressed in jeans and a blouse, and covered up with a large, full-length coat, which went a long way to disguise her size, although not totally. She arrived at the factory at just after 11am, and was greeted warmly by an Adidas representative, who noted she was looking larger. Anna was left to walk around the factory, and pick out whatever she wanted.
She was worried that they wouldn't stock tennis clothing in her size, but was pleased to find that Adidas stocked up to UK size 20, and she estimated that she was an 18 herself. She was glad that she wasn't being accompanied around, so she could select her sizes without being watched by someone. After an hour, Anna picked out 2 skirts, 3 pairs of cycling shorts, 3 t-shirts and a waterproof jacket all in size 18, as well as 3 racquets, a holdall and a baseball cap. She packed all the gear into the holdall, thanked the man, and made her way back to the hotel.
Once back, she dumped all her stuff the room, and went to the restaurant. Anna satisfied her hunger with a large portion of lasagne and chips, 3 glasses of Coke and a large portion of chocolate cheesecake. She went back up to her room and took a nap. After waking up at about 6pm, she went down to the restaurant, and had exactly the same meal she had for lunch.
Feeling happily full, she went back to her room and decided to try on her new gear Anna stripped off and picked an item out of the holdall. She tugged the pair of white cycling shorts up her thick thighs, and found they fit comfortably, although they did have a lot of stretch in them. Next she reached for a skirt, and found it slightly difficult to button and zip, but not too bad. Finally she picked up one of her tops and pulled it over her head and down over her breasts and belly, and she was relieved to see it covered her belly, though only just.
She decided to try a little workout to prepare herself for the match. Anna reached down to touch her toes, and found that by the time she reached her knees, her belly was creating resistance, and was poking out under her top. Anna frowned. She lay on the floor, and placed her hands behind her head, in position for some sit-ups, setting herself a mental target of 100. 5 minutes and 7 sit-ups later, Anna lay back, breathing heavily, and sweating.
She heaved herself up off the floor, and walked to the bathroom, realizing she had to face her problem. She pulled her top over her head, and unfastened her skirt, letting it fall to the floor. She then peeled the shorts off, and unclipped her bra. Anna turned to face the full-length mirror, in all her naked glory. She gasped. Anna stood and stared at herself, for what seemed like hours, but in reality was a matter of 30 seconds or so.
The breasts, the belly, the hips, the thighs. They had nothing in common to what she remembered. She cupped her hands underneath her vast stomach, and lifted it up, shocked by its sheer weight. Anna dropped it, and watched it wobble for about 5 seconds. She couldn't take any more of this. Anna walked to the bathroom door, and was about to leave the room, when she spotted it in the corner.
A scale. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to. She walked over to the scale, and stepped up, 1 foot, 2 feet, and closed her eyes, as the dial shot-up. Anna opened her eyes 10 seconds later, and looked down. 206lbs. Anna's first thought was that it must be wrong. Then she remembered her reflection. The size 18's. The lack of exercise. How much she'd eaten in the last 12 months. It slowly sunk in. She stepped of the scale and walked to her bed, and got in. Anna cried herself to sleep that night.
The morning of the match. Anna was due on court at 11am. She woke at 8, and decided against breakfast. Anna's car was due to arrive at the hotel at 9am to ferry her to the Wimbledon complex. She quickly showered, and made sure she avoided seeing her reflection in the mirror. Dressing in a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms, a t-shirt, and her big coat, Anna had never felt so nervous.
She packed her holdall and made her way downstairs to the car, quickly getting in. Half an hour later, she arrived, right outside her dressing room. She greeted the doorman, who let her in. Anna spent the next hour trying to calm her nerves and convince herself it wouldn't be so bad. She could hear her legion of fans making their way into the stands, and chanting her name. She felt sick. At 10.30am, she got dressed into her tennis kit.
20 minutes later the bell in her dressing room sounded, this was it. She picked up her holdall, and left the dressing room. In the corridor, she met her opponent Venus Williams, and they greeted each other warmly, though Venus couldn't hide her surprise at Anna's size. The crowd were again chanting Anna's name, anticipating the entrance of the former sex-bomb, after a year away.
The doors opened, and the noise deafened Anna. The 2 players walked out on to the court, and the chanting turned into a stunned silence. The best the T.V. commentator could muster up was 'She's not looking in the best of shape'.
Anna waved to the stunned crowd, which resulted in her shirt riding up and displaying her belly, to which she quickly reached down, and embarrassedly tugged the shirt down. They went through the formalities, the Russian's cheeks hot with embarrassment. Venus Williams won the serve.
47 minutes later, Anna was walking back to her dressing room, after being embarrassed 6-0, 6-0 by Venus. She was hot, sweaty and gasping for breath, and nearly in tears from her ordeal. She flew back to America the next day, with the newspapers coverage of Wimbledon dominated by the story of Anna's weight. None of the papers could resist making estimations of her weight, which ranged from 180lbs in The Guardian, to 225lbs in The Mirror.
After a failed attempt at getting back into shape with a personal trainer, Anna announced her retirement from international tennis on the 22nd January 2003, at the weight of 229lbs.
After a short stint with plus-size modeling company Lane Bryant, Anna reportedly took up with a PR executive who appreciated largher women. She bowed out of the spotlight to her house in Florida, happy she was finally free and loved.
