Even though Kournikova retired from playing tennis professionally, that didn’t end her love of the game, and she has continued to play the sport for different good causes. In 2008, she participated in the Advanta World TeamTennis Smash Hits celebrity tennis tournament, which raised money for Elton John’s AIDS Foundation and the Atlanta Aids Partnership Fund.
Kournikova has also volunteered with HIV/AIDS patients in other parts of the world. In 2009, she took a trip to her native Russia to work with young HIV and AIDS patients there, and wrote passionately about the experience for Oprah.com: “Our goal here is to reach young people before they begin using drugs, to educate them, to give them the tools they need to make healthy choices. … I have been back to Russia many times over the years for either tennis or personal reasons, but on this trip it suddenly feels like a completely different country to me. … I hope that I can make a difference in these kids’ lives and that my voice will be heard.”
Kournikova made that trip to Russia with PSI, Population Services International, and has continued to work and travel with the organization as a Global Ambassador.