Angela Kinsey in Tennis Gear Says "Angela Martin Would Not Approve"

For most professional athletes, diet, and exercise are part of the job. Performing well on the court, course, field, or in the gym, poo, or ring, requires a dedication to healthy living, discipline, and nutrition. Even after their professional careers are over, female athletes keep doing the things they love to stay in shape. Here are 20 amazing bodies of female athletes over 40 and all of their top health, wellness, and diet secrets.

1. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is one of the most body-confident athletes. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” Serena William revealed to Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

2. Venus Williams

Shutterstock

Venus Williams is all about a plant-based lifestyle and even launched her own vegan protein brand, Happy Viking, in 2020. "I need to refuel and provide protein to my muscles quickly after I work out for recovery and to maintain muscle," she told Insider in 2021. "So Happy Viking was created to fuel your inner fighter, your inner Viking, while feeling happy and satisfied about what you put in your body."

3. Danica Patrick

Shutterstock

Danica, 41, doesn’t pick and choose when she is going to be healthy. "What I'm hoping is that people realize that this is a lifestyle," she said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "I want them to develop a good relationship with food and exercise to not be a reward or punishment but a way of life and something that makes you feel good and something that makes you a better you every single day." One of her health habits is eating paleo, she revealed on her website. "Paleo is based on the idea that you only eat foods that were available to ancient man before the invention of agriculture. So no grains, no dairy, no beans or legumes, no added sugars or preservatives. Instead, you focus on naturally raised meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts," she said. "My intention was to only do it for a week or two to reset my body with less sugar and more veggies. Well . . . I felt so good, and saw such amazing results, that I never quit."

4. Torrie Wilson

Getty Images

Former WWE star Torrie Wilson is all about the 80/20 method of eating. “I go for the 80% rule of healthy. I’m now more focused on eating whole, natural foods that have a lot of nutrients to help me feel good from the inside out. I’m anti-strict eating because of competing and being anorexic,” she said.

5. Gabrielle Reece

Getty Images

Gabrielle Reece revealed to Parade that she bounces between high intensity interval workouts (HIIT) and underwater circuits. “I try to create a little bit of structure. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I typically will do some kind of HIIT, high intensity mixed bag of exercises that I change each time. It's about 60 minutes of work, a little bit less. I write the workouts, a mix of resistance, strength and dumbbells,” she said. “After I workout, I try to do a breathing routine that's about 15 to 20 minutes, to start the recovery process and down-regulating. It’s really important that even if we're sitting at our desk or driving in our car, that we're nose breathing as often as we possibly can. That's a really important health idea. So my routine involves a lot of nose breathing and oxygenating the tissues and the cells. That’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday if the schedule permits in a perfect world.”

6. Dara Torres

Getty Images

Dara Torres suffered from an eating disorder in college that left her with a “fear” of foods. “And so my philosophy is to eat healthy, but if you have a craving for something, don't deprive yourself; just have a little bit of it to help with the craving that you have. My philosophy is that if you are keeping yourself from eating certain things and not having what you want, you're gonna want it more than you should. So that's the biggest thing with me with diet. I try to eat my proteins every day and my fruits and vegetables. But I do have a sweet tooth. I can't deny that. For some reason it gets worse when I travel. I'm out to dinner and I see someone having chocolate cake, I’ll ask for a piece, take a couple of bites, and then let everyone else have it. I just can't cut out certain foods completely and be that restrictive after what I went through in college. I try to eat little meals throughout the entire day. So I always make sure that if I get hungry or need snacks, I will have macadamia nuts or avocados. I just try to eat healthy stuff but I’m not a saint. That's for sure!” she told Parade.

7. Summer Sanders

Getty Images

Summer Sanders maintains that eating a healthy breakfast every morning is her healthiest habit “I never miss breakfast. As a busy mom, there will be days when I'm cruisin' along and I'll look at the clock and I haven't eaten lunch. And I'll run downstairs and I'll start shovelin' stuff down the pie hole, and I'll think, "That was no lunch at all." But breakfast has sort of turned into the new dinner, where you can sit down with your family and have a conversation. And my kids talk at breakfast. We talk about our dreams, talk about our nights' sleep, talk about what we wanna do today and be positive,” she told Self.

8. Kristin Armstrong

Getty Images

Kristin Armstrong is still a runner. “I probably run five days a week; I go to the gym for strength training twice a week; and I try to do yoga twice a week. How far I run depends on what I'm training for. If I'm doing marathon training, then my long runs on Saturdays will escalate depending on what part of my program I'm at. During a regular week, I run 3 to 10 miles per day, and I bump it up on the weekends,” she told Self.

9. Jo Pavey

Getty Images

Jo Pavey fuels her body with food. "When you're running you need to make sure you are getting a decent amount of carbohydrate in order to fuel yourself. I do give myself a cheat day - I mean pizza is a great carbohydrate and you can always put healthy toppings on it. It's all about balance and just generally I've found having that balance in life does me a lot of good,” she told The Sun.

10. Zara Phillips

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Zara Phillips avoids two things. “I don’t diet but I try to eat well and not to eat too many carbohydrates or sugary things. Lunch is quick and simple, like soup and a sandwich or eggs and toast," she told the Sunday Times Magazine.

11. Oksana Chusovitina

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

At 41, Oksana Chusovitina was the oldest gymnast to compete at the Olympics. When asked what motivated her to return to elite competition after having a child, she didn’t hesitate to respond. "There was no motivation. I stepped into the gym to work out a little bit, to get my body back in shape."

12. Lisa Leslie

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Lisa Leslie revealed to ESPNW that hse has a daily toothbrush workout routine which includes squats and leg lifts. “My favorite workout involves an electric toothbrush and whole lot of squats. If you get an electric toothbrush it usually runs for two minutes [and] you do four quadrants of your mouth. While at the same time, you can do your squats. So I do my squats probably for a minute, which gets me about 50 squats in a minute and then I do leg lifts and raises for the other minute. That pretty much gets my teeth cleaned and my butt toned,” she said.

13. Chemmy Alcott

Dave Benett/Getty Images

In an interview with Hello! magazine, former Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott was inspired to lose weigh after having children. "I looked in the mirror and I wasn’t comfortable with who I was," she said. "I didn’t know who was looking back at me. I had been a professional athlete for 20 years, then I became a mum and I lost who I was. I wanted to find myself again and be confident in myself as a woman and mother." She added that she hired a personal trainer, her friend Sarah Lindsay and embarked on a 12-week body program.

14. Annika Sorenstam

Shutterstock

Annika Sorenstam maintains a health diet. She drinks water and tea, stays away from fried food, and rarely has juice. “We eat three meals a day, in reasonable portions, and we live active lifestyles. In the evening, we’ll grill a simple chicken or fish, steam broccoli to go with it, maybe sauté some mushrooms. We don’t buy any of it ready-made because you don’t know what salt and preservatives are in those foods,” she told Edible Orlando. “I don’t believe in light diet foods,” she says. “My husband and I enjoy food very much. Often he’ll hang out while I cook, we’ll share a bottle of wine and dine at home. It’s more comfortable than going to a restaurant.”

15. Anna Kournikova

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Anna Kournikova has a no-frills approach to exercise. "I grew up in the Soviet Union in the eighties and nineties. We didn't have gyms, let alone a treadmill. We worked with what we had; you can too. All you need are sneakers and a sports bra to go running. Or try jumping rope for 10 minutes—it's a great workout!" she told Glamour. "Exercise gives us energy and confidence, so why cut corners? It's easier to incorporate it into your life and feel good now, rather than put it off and feel guilty about it a year from now."

16. Steffi Graff

Getty Images

Steffi Graff stays active. “I am generally a very energetic person. I like to be in motion, I like to act. I still try to start the day with a 45-minute workout – running, yoga, exercise – because after it my head seems to clear up, I feel not only physical vigor, but also amazing mental clarity. I’m ready for a new day. Daily challenges are very important. And not only in terms of sports,” she said in an interview.

17. Lindsay Davenport

Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Lindsay Davenport has spent up to 10 to 15 hours doing hitting and stroke drills, plus three hours of free weights, the occasional Pilates class ("depending on how stiff I am"), and two sessions of footwork and plyometrics (high-impact drills), she revealed to Marie Claire.

18. Natalya Neidhart

Getty Images

Natalya is all about workout buddies. “I’m guilty as anyone of procrastinating when I don’t have a set schedule to follow. For me, I need accountability, which is why I grab a partner. My mom, sister, friends, my husband, heck even my cat have all joined me for some pretty awesome workouts! When you have a partner and your sweat session is like an appointment you have to ‘show up for,’ you won’t miss a workout! These are tools I use to keep me on track, when life sometimes life feels ‘out of our hands,’” she told Calgary Sun.

19. Marion Reneau

Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC fighter Marion Reneau wakes up early, eats breakfast and does a morning one-on-one session with her coach. Then she spends an hour with her strength and conditioning coach, and drives home for lunch and takes a two hour break. Then, she goes on a three-mile run, followed by Jiu-Jitsu, grappling and wrestling, with her husband. "I'm still active," she told Visalia Times Delta.

20. Natalie Gulbis

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Natalie Gulbis consumes a high protein diet. “My diet six days a week consists of protein shakes with whey protein, healthy fats, greens and probiotics for breakfast and lunch. I have protein bars as snacks in between. For dinner I usually have fish or steak with steamed veggies. When I am home and not on tour I sit down for lunch. Usually chicken with salad dressing on the side. I allow myself 200-300 calories of a treat a day. A Michelob ultra, glass of wine, chocolate etc. On Sundays after the tournament I have a cheat meal and eat whatever I may have been craving. I like consistency and protein keeps my energy up and my body feeling good,” she told Women Fitness.

1. Trampoline and Basketball

Kinsey got into trampolining during the pandemic lockdowns, but is careful not to overdo it. "We’re moving a lot," she told Woman's Day. "We play on the trampoline, and we play basketball, and we've really gotten into badminton during quarantine. If I overdo it… I get this pinch in my shoulder, which then goes up to the back of my head, and I get a headache behind my eye.”

2. Proud Cat Lady

Much like her character Angela Martin, Kinsey is a proud cat lady. “I don’t feel like the ‘cat lady’ is a bad thing,” she told SheKnows. “I don’t mind being the cat lady at all. That means that I love animals, and that’s a good thing… I think that cat people think that cats are superior. To get a cat’s affection, you have to work at it — you can’t just throw a stick somewhere. Cats are picky, so I think cat owners feel special. But then I think dog owners are like, ‘But dogs are so laid-back!’ It’s sort of like, ‘Is the dress blue, or is it gold?’ It’s very interesting to me.”

3. Walking the Cat

Kinsey loves taking long walks around the neighborhood, and even takes her cat Oreo in a backpack. “Snickers was like, No way, no thanks. Do not put me in that. Forget about it. But Oreo’s so curious, so we put her in the little backpack and we walked the neighborhood with her,” she told The Healthy. “She’s really into it. So we’re looking forward to some warmer evenings when we can take her out and about.”

4. Beauty Sleep

Kinsey sees herself as having cat-like personality traits. “I think I am a little picky,” she told SheKnows. “Well, ‘picky’ is not the right word. I’m particular. I’m very organized, and I like my house a certain way, so I think I’m a little particular like that… “I love to sleep. I love it! I look forward to it the way people might look forward to a vacation. I think because I work long hours, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to get to bed tonight before 9:30 p.m. — kabooooom!’ Like, I get really excited for sleep.”

5. Le Creuset Cooking

Kinsey loves her Le Creuset Dutch Oven. “Most nights, we make dinner together,” she told New York Magazine. “My kids really love to help, so I have them wash and peel the vegetables. I’m not super comfortable having them wield a big knife yet, so I put them on the safer tasks. We make a lot of soups and stews, which are what we mostly use our Le Creuset for, especially in the winter.”

For most professional athletes, diet, and exercise are part of the job. Performing well on the court, course, field, or in the gym, poo, or ring, requires a dedication to healthy living, discipline, and nutrition. Even after their professional careers are over, female athletes keep doing the things they love to stay in shape. Here are 20 amazing bodies of female athletes over 40 and all of their top health, wellness, and diet secrets.

1. Serena Williams

Shutterstock

Serena Williams is one of the most body-confident athletes. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” Serena William revealed to Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

2. Venus Williams

Shutterstock

Venus Williams is all about a plant-based lifestyle and even launched her own vegan protein brand, Happy Viking, in 2020. "I need to refuel and provide protein to my muscles quickly after I work out for recovery and to maintain muscle," she told Insider in 2021. "So Happy Viking was created to fuel your inner fighter, your inner Viking, while feeling happy and satisfied about what you put in your body."

3. Danica Patrick

Shutterstock

Danica, 41, doesn’t pick and choose when she is going to be healthy. "What I'm hoping is that people realize that this is a lifestyle," she said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "I want them to develop a good relationship with food and exercise to not be a reward or punishment but a way of life and something that makes you feel good and something that makes you a better you every single day." One of her health habits is eating paleo, she revealed on her website. "Paleo is based on the idea that you only eat foods that were available to ancient man before the invention of agriculture. So no grains, no dairy, no beans or legumes, no added sugars or preservatives. Instead, you focus on naturally raised meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts," she said. "My intention was to only do it for a week or two to reset my body with less sugar and more veggies. Well . . . I felt so good, and saw such amazing results, that I never quit."

4. Torrie Wilson

Getty Images

Former WWE star Torrie Wilson is all about the 80/20 method of eating. “I go for the 80% rule of healthy. I’m now more focused on eating whole, natural foods that have a lot of nutrients to help me feel good from the inside out. I’m anti-strict eating because of competing and being anorexic,” she said.

5. Gabrielle Reece

Getty Images

Gabrielle Reece revealed to Parade that she bounces between high intensity interval workouts (HIIT) and underwater circuits. “I try to create a little bit of structure. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I typically will do some kind of HIIT, high intensity mixed bag of exercises that I change each time. It's about 60 minutes of work, a little bit less. I write the workouts, a mix of resistance, strength and dumbbells,” she said. “After I workout, I try to do a breathing routine that's about 15 to 20 minutes, to start the recovery process and down-regulating. It’s really important that even if we're sitting at our desk or driving in our car, that we're nose breathing as often as we possibly can. That's a really important health idea. So my routine involves a lot of nose breathing and oxygenating the tissues and the cells. That’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday if the schedule permits in a perfect world.”

6. Dara Torres

Getty Images

Dara Torres suffered from an eating disorder in college that left her with a “fear” of foods. “And so my philosophy is to eat healthy, but if you have a craving for something, don't deprive yourself; just have a little bit of it to help with the craving that you have. My philosophy is that if you are keeping yourself from eating certain things and not having what you want, you're gonna want it more than you should. So that's the biggest thing with me with diet. I try to eat my proteins every day and my fruits and vegetables. But I do have a sweet tooth. I can't deny that. For some reason it gets worse when I travel. I'm out to dinner and I see someone having chocolate cake, I’ll ask for a piece, take a couple of bites, and then let everyone else have it. I just can't cut out certain foods completely and be that restrictive after what I went through in college. I try to eat little meals throughout the entire day. So I always make sure that if I get hungry or need snacks, I will have macadamia nuts or avocados. I just try to eat healthy stuff but I’m not a saint. That's for sure!” she told Parade.

7. Summer Sanders

Getty Images

Summer Sanders maintains that eating a healthy breakfast every morning is her healthiest habit “I never miss breakfast. As a busy mom, there will be days when I'm cruisin' along and I'll look at the clock and I haven't eaten lunch. And I'll run downstairs and I'll start shovelin' stuff down the pie hole, and I'll think, "That was no lunch at all." But breakfast has sort of turned into the new dinner, where you can sit down with your family and have a conversation. And my kids talk at breakfast. We talk about our dreams, talk about our nights' sleep, talk about what we wanna do today and be positive,” she told Self.

8. Kristin Armstrong

Getty Images

Kristin Armstrong is still a runner. “I probably run five days a week; I go to the gym for strength training twice a week; and I try to do yoga twice a week. How far I run depends on what I'm training for. If I'm doing marathon training, then my long runs on Saturdays will escalate depending on what part of my program I'm at. During a regular week, I run 3 to 10 miles per day, and I bump it up on the weekends,” she told Self.

9. Jo Pavey

Getty Images

Jo Pavey fuels her body with food. "When you're running you need to make sure you are getting a decent amount of carbohydrate in order to fuel yourself. I do give myself a cheat day - I mean pizza is a great carbohydrate and you can always put healthy toppings on it. It's all about balance and just generally I've found having that balance in life does me a lot of good,” she told The Sun.

10. Zara Phillips

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Zara Phillips avoids two things. “I don’t diet but I try to eat well and not to eat too many carbohydrates or sugary things. Lunch is quick and simple, like soup and a sandwich or eggs and toast," she told the Sunday Times Magazine.

11. Oksana Chusovitina

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

At 41, Oksana Chusovitina was the oldest gymnast to compete at the Olympics. When asked what motivated her to return to elite competition after having a child, she didn’t hesitate to respond. "There was no motivation. I stepped into the gym to work out a little bit, to get my body back in shape."

12. Lisa Leslie

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Lisa Leslie revealed to ESPNW that hse has a daily toothbrush workout routine which includes squats and leg lifts. “My favorite workout involves an electric toothbrush and whole lot of squats. If you get an electric toothbrush it usually runs for two minutes [and] you do four quadrants of your mouth. While at the same time, you can do your squats. So I do my squats probably for a minute, which gets me about 50 squats in a minute and then I do leg lifts and raises for the other minute. That pretty much gets my teeth cleaned and my butt toned,” she said.

13. Chemmy Alcott

Dave Benett/Getty Images

In an interview with Hello! magazine, former Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott was inspired to lose weigh after having children. "I looked in the mirror and I wasn’t comfortable with who I was," she said. "I didn’t know who was looking back at me. I had been a professional athlete for 20 years, then I became a mum and I lost who I was. I wanted to find myself again and be confident in myself as a woman and mother." She added that she hired a personal trainer, her friend Sarah Lindsay and embarked on a 12-week body program.

14. Annika Sorenstam

Shutterstock

Annika Sorenstam maintains a health diet. She drinks water and tea, stays away from fried food, and rarely has juice. “We eat three meals a day, in reasonable portions, and we live active lifestyles. In the evening, we’ll grill a simple chicken or fish, steam broccoli to go with it, maybe sauté some mushrooms. We don’t buy any of it ready-made because you don’t know what salt and preservatives are in those foods,” she told Edible Orlando. “I don’t believe in light diet foods,” she says. “My husband and I enjoy food very much. Often he’ll hang out while I cook, we’ll share a bottle of wine and dine at home. It’s more comfortable than going to a restaurant.”

15. Anna Kournikova

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Anna Kournikova has a no-frills approach to exercise. "I grew up in the Soviet Union in the eighties and nineties. We didn't have gyms, let alone a treadmill. We worked with what we had; you can too. All you need are sneakers and a sports bra to go running. Or try jumping rope for 10 minutes—it's a great workout!" she told Glamour. "Exercise gives us energy and confidence, so why cut corners? It's easier to incorporate it into your life and feel good now, rather than put it off and feel guilty about it a year from now."

16. Steffi Graff

Getty Images

Steffi Graff stays active. “I am generally a very energetic person. I like to be in motion, I like to act. I still try to start the day with a 45-minute workout – running, yoga, exercise – because after it my head seems to clear up, I feel not only physical vigor, but also amazing mental clarity. I’m ready for a new day. Daily challenges are very important. And not only in terms of sports,” she said in an interview.

17. Lindsay Davenport

Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Lindsay Davenport has spent up to 10 to 15 hours doing hitting and stroke drills, plus three hours of free weights, the occasional Pilates class ("depending on how stiff I am"), and two sessions of footwork and plyometrics (high-impact drills), she revealed to Marie Claire.

18. Natalya Neidhart

Getty Images

Natalya is all about workout buddies. “I’m guilty as anyone of procrastinating when I don’t have a set schedule to follow. For me, I need accountability, which is why I grab a partner. My mom, sister, friends, my husband, heck even my cat have all joined me for some pretty awesome workouts! When you have a partner and your sweat session is like an appointment you have to ‘show up for,’ you won’t miss a workout! These are tools I use to keep me on track, when life sometimes life feels ‘out of our hands,’” she told Calgary Sun.

19. Marion Reneau

Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC fighter Marion Reneau wakes up early, eats breakfast and does a morning one-on-one session with her coach. Then she spends an hour with her strength and conditioning coach, and drives home for lunch and takes a two hour break. Then, she goes on a three-mile run, followed by Jiu-Jitsu, grappling and wrestling, with her husband. "I'm still active," she told Visalia Times Delta.

20. Natalie Gulbis

Shutterstock

Natalie Gulbis consumes a high protein diet. “My diet six days a week consists of protein shakes with whey protein, healthy fats, greens and probiotics for breakfast and lunch. I have protein bars as snacks in between. For dinner I usually have fish or steak with steamed veggies. When I am home and not on tour I sit down for lunch. Usually chicken with salad dressing on the side. I allow myself 200-300 calories of a treat a day. A Michelob ultra, glass of wine, chocolate etc. On Sundays after the tournament I have a cheat meal and eat whatever I may have been craving. I like consistency and protein keeps my energy up and my body feeling good,” she told Women Fitness.

Get ready to be inspired by the incredible fitness, dedication, and lifestyles of the 20 amazing stars of the 2023 US Open. From Iga Swiatek's meticulous routines to Aryna Sabalenka's versatile workouts, these athletes are pushing their limits on and off the court. Jessica Pegula shares her personal journey of resilience, while Caroline Garcia emphasizes the importance of eating right on the road. Elena Rybakina focuses on recovery for peak performance, while Maria Sakkari tackles intense workouts, including running. Read on for these and more unique insights into their lives, diets, and motivations as they strive for tennis greatness.

1. Iga Swiatek

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Iga Swiatek shared how she preps for a match on an episode ofCrossCourt. “It’s just routines. I try to do everything exactly the same as I did before the previous match and when I play a night session, it’s for me the hardest day because for the whole day I feel like I have to avoid things, that I’m gonna get tired.”

2. Aryna Sabalenka

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Aryna Sabalenka likes to share some of her go-to workouts on her Instagram. She makes sure to do a variety of workouts. In this video, Sabalenka is seen doing twists with both a hand and circle weight, mountain climbers, and balances on one leg. Meanwhile, in this video, she is seen running while holding a ball over her head.

3. Jessica Pegula

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In an interview with The Buffalo News, Jessica Pegula talked about why she chose to share her mother’s health situation. “It definitely gives you perspective in that aspect. People are so different. I feel like I’ve been able to play well under a lot of personal stress. Some people have a lot going on in their personal life and it really affects them on court. To me, tennis has always been more of a stress relief, in a way. It’s stressful, but I think just focusing on pouring yourself into something else kind of takes your mind off of the other stuff that’s happening.”

4. Caroline Garcia

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Caroline Garcia makes sure to eat healthy, especially when she travels. She shared her secrets with Sports Illustrated. “I don’t bring anything special with me,” Garcia says. “I just eat very simply. I check everything and try to eat a lot of rice and chicken. I just want to be safe and very careful.”

5. Elena Rybakina

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Ahead of the US Open, Elena Rybakina shared how she prepared with Redbull.com. “Now, as the tournament is starting, we are physically not working too hard. We are trying to maintain the level. During the last two tournaments here in the US I was physically not in the best condition. At this stage, it’s all about the right recovery. I need to feel 100 percent fit and get to this level.”

6. Maria Sakkari

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Maria Sakkari shared some of her go-to exercises with Baseline. “When I’m in Greece, I end up running a lot, which I don’t like, to be honest," she says. "It’s so tough, and I had to do so much of it in the off-season, and again during the lockdown last spring. At first, I did some flexibility and mobility workouts, and then we started exercising more intensely in the parks and places like that. It was a lot of running after that."

7. Jennifer Brady

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After dealing with an injury that took her out of the game, Jennifer Brady shared how her mindset has changed with Eurosport.com. “Looking back, I definitely think that overtraining plays a big part in many of the injuries we see on tour. Tennis is so physical. The amount that we train is probably not necessary. I think the older you get, the less you do, and then you realise, well, I guess I really didn't need to practise twice a day and do two gym sessions. You may not feel it when you're 16, 17, 18 up until your early 20s. But once your mid-20s hits, you just start to feel it. You wake up and you're like, ‘Wow, what's that pain? I've never had that before’. So it takes a toll on your body, and I think training smart is way better than just training and putting in so many hours. I'd rather put super high intensity with a shorter amount of time, and that's how I'm going to be training now moving forward. No more three-hour practice sessions for me; a two-hour practice is the most I'll go on court and that'll be it for me. Maybe every now and then doing two sessions, but it's more about trying to maximise and create some more longevity instead of just burning out and trying to do too much.”

8. Madison Keys

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Madison Keys talked about how she preps for tennis tournaments to Thorne.com. “I think the most important areas to me are energy, recovery, and sleep. If I’m training or in a tournament with matches on back-to-back days, then I focus on those things that make sure I’m physically at my best. I do really long training sessions outside when it’s hot in Florida, where I’m based, so I have to be on top of putting the right things into my body to stay hydrated and energized. Depending on where I’m playing a tournament, it could be just as hot as Florida and a match could go a few hours. If my body is feeling good physically, then it allows me to play more freely and focus on my tennis.”

9. Sofia Kenin

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Sofia Kenin talked about her training process with Athleisure Magazine. “I typically practice tennis twice a day for 1 and a half hour practice sessions and after that, of course lunch and recovery with some of my KT Tape. Then, I’m back with my trainer for another couple of hours and recovery is very important in my daily life. I have to maintain a good recovery so that I can do my best during the training week and upcoming tournaments.”

10. Taylor Townsend

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After having her first child, Taylor Townsend shared her process for returning in an interview. “I set a goal for myself to return back after having my son better than I left,” she said. “And in multiple facets and areas, not just how I’m playing. I definitely feel like a different player, a lot more clear, a lot more confident with what I’m doing.”

11. Elizabeth Mandlik

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Elizabeth Mandlik talked about her motivations and her approach to the game in an interview with Digital Journal. “What motivates me every day as a tennis player is the constant adrenaline in the sport and the reward you get from working hard. I’ve been a very competitive person since a very young age and it’s only gotten stronger as times passed.”

12. Madison Brengle

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Madison Brengle shared her wellness advice in an interview with Stuff.co.nz. “To take good care of your body, even when you’re young and healthy. That pays a lot of dividends when you get older. Obviously, your body is going to be more forgiving when you’re younger, but if you take good care of it then, I think it will last longer.”

13. Jodie Burrage

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Jodie Burrage opened up about her training process in an interview with Mindful Chef. She says that she makes sure to eat healthy. “I think I played 7 matches in 7 days across the country last week and that can be exhausting. Eating right is so important to ensure your body is prepared for what’s ahead of it, you don’t know how long a match will be or how long you will be in a tournament but you have to plan for the long haul when it comes to how you eat.”

14. Rebecca Marino

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Rebecca Marino shared some of her secrets for eating healthy with Nuzest. She says that she makes sure to pay attention when she goes grocery shopping. “The first thing is to make sure I’m nor hungry when I’m grocery shopping,” Marino revealed. “That can be dangerous! Secondly, I try my best not to purchase any temptations while at the store. If I don’t bring bad food into the house, it makes it a lot more difficult to get my hands on! I also try to have healthy snacks on hand, like fruit and nuts, just in case I get hungry when I’m out and about. That being said, I do believe having the occasional treat is perfectly fine so long as it is in moderation.”

15. Claire Liu

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Tennis isn’t the only sport Claire Liu likes to do. She also loves to go skiing. Earlier this year, Liu went to the Snow Summit Mountain Resort to hit the slopes. She shared these highlights from the trip on Instagram, including a video of herself skiing. Liu captioned the post, “Hit that recharge.”

16. Emma Navarro

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Last year, Emma Navarro notably made the decision to pursue a professional career in tennis. She opened up about this in an interview last year to The Post & Courier. “I’m looking forward to playing with a little bit more on the line,” she said. “I’ve changed up how I go about practice and working out, and am taking it all a little bit more seriously, taking care of my body more than I have in the past. So I feel like I’m prepared to take this on.”

17. Sloane Stephens

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Sloane Stephens shared some of her favorite healthy foods in an interview with Well + Good. She says that she loves salmon for lunch. "I cook my salmon with lots of lemon juice and add plenty of avocado [to the salad]," she says. "I probably eat that for lunch three to four times a week. Living in Florida, I'm lucky to be able to get fresh fish really easily."

18. Alycia Parks

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Alycia Parks talked about how she approaches tennis in an interview. "I always use the saying 'me versus me' because... I wouldn't say players were like beating me. I was more like, beating myself on the court. I was more like, beating myself on the court and I knew the next year. I didn't want to be in the quallies of the Grand Slams.”

19. Danielle Collins

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Danielle Collins opened up about some dietary changes she made on an episode of the TENNIS.com Podcast. Specifically, she has cut out dairy, gluten, and started eating more vegan and plant-based. “I started doing a more specific diet once I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because there's things that can kind of trigger flare-ups," Collins said. "So it was important that I was able to identify the things that would kind of cause me to have a reaction."

20. Kimberly Birrell

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During the 2022 Australian Open, Kimberly Birrell talked about participating in it on the company’s website. "Both the men and the women seem like they're doing really well this week and I feel really proud to be, especially a female, tennis player at the moment. I think the cohort of Australian female tennis is just so amazing. I think we're all great people on and off the court … I think we're all rooting for each other, which is a really special feeling.”

To remain at the top of professional female sports requires grit, determination and a comittment to health and wellness. For proof, look no further than these iconic athletes at the top of their game. Soccer star Alex Morgan values recovery and sleep after a training session, MMA fighter Paige VanZant hits the gym twice a day and WNBA star Sue Bird is gluten-free. Read on to see 20 amazing bodies of these superstars and how they stay so fit.

1. Alex Morgan

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Former soccer player Alex Morgan shared her wellness secrets with Buzzfeed. “For my daily wellness routine, I always make sure to take my vitamins, get some form of recovery in chronotherapy or infrared sauna, and sleep for 8 to 9½ hours, which is a lot more than a normal person, but I feel like that amount allows me to reach my full potential the next day. It's important for me to have some ‘me time,’ so I try to make sure every couple of days that I do something just for me, like getting a manicure or pedicure.”

2. Carli Lloyd

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Former soccer player, Carli Lloyd, talked about her diet to NJM. “I usually eat the same thing at breakfast and lunch, such as a salad, and switch up what I have for dinner each night. Some days, I make myself two eggs over-easy with a side of avocado, or oatmeal with strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Otherwise, I'll keep things light and make myself a green smoothie. My go-to ingredients are water, ice, spinach, kale, pineapple, cinnamon, green grapes, juice squeezed from half a lemon, avocado, kiwi, ginger, and mint, which really make a smoothie good.”

3. Megan Rapinoe

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Former soccer player, Megan Rapinoe, shared her approach to wellness in an interview with Bustle. “It’s about figuring out what I need from a mental, emotional, and physical standpoint, and allowing it to change over time. Sometimes I feel like doing more yoga, or I feel like taking more baths or taking more walks. Instead of approaching it as, ‘Oh, I have to do this for my health and wellness,’ I’ll think, ‘Oh, I'm actually feeding my body and this is really all just for me.’ It frames it in a different way and allows me space to change and move with the different seasons as I get older.”

4. Julie Ertz

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Julie Ertz is a former soccer player. She shared what she eats when she trains to Forbes. “My go-to's are fruit, veggies and protein-packed snacks like almonds. I also like to plan ahead in terms of meals and snacks because it easy to make an unhealthy choice when you don't have a snack in your bag or meal pre-planned. My husband and I love to cook at home so we're very mindful about planning out our meals. We want to make sure we have the healthiest choices for us because we both train all day, every day.”

5. Simone Biles

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Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She shared her favorite beauty products with People. Biles says that she uses a facial essence from Pitera. "This Pitera essence is seriously like a miracle water for my skin: it hydrates, moisturizes, evens out my skin tone and leaves my skin glowing. I love that it's super powerful, yet really lightweight. When I heard the legendary story – that it was discovered in a Sake brewery in Japan where all the elderly brewers had soft hands with no wrinkles – I knew I needed to try it, and now I love it."

6. Aly Raisman

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Aly Raisman is a former gymnast, who competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She tells Shape that after retiring, she does a lot of Pilates and stretching. "I'm not able to do [Pilates] every day, as much as I would like to, just because I don't physically have the stamina to do it," she says. "But Pilates has really helped me with my workouts and even mentally, too, because I like how I can focus on different parts of my body, and it helps me feel more strong and confident."

7. Paige VanZant

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Paige VanZant is a very successful MMA fighter. She shared her workout secrets in an interview with Women Fitness. “I of course have a very strict workout regimen. I’m in the gym every day twice a day. Since I have switched over to professional boxing my schedule comprises of boxing every day, sometimes twice a day. And strength and conditioning three days a week. I do all of my training at American top team, A world renowned MMA and combat academy.”

8. Sue Bird

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Sue Bird is a former WNBA player. She shared her diet secrets in an interview with GQ. “I don't eat dairy, and I've been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten. I stick with all anti-inflammatory foods: tons of veggies, eggs, chicken and fish. I will have some red meat, but only every now and then. There’s very little sugar, if any, because I save that for my cheat days. I like rice bowls a lot. That's been my new thing this year—I’ll have some brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and mixed veggies.”

9. Candace Parker

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Candace Parker is a very successful WNBA player. She tells New York Magazine that she loves to cook meals for her family. “I love grilling. I think it’s super-fast and efficient, and there’s not a lot of cleaning up, so I’m kind of the griller in the family. My dad is actually the grill master, and I’m learning from him. I can do all red meat and stuff like that, but I’m working on perfecting my barbecued chicken, my cedar-plank salmon, my beer-battered chicken. I love grilling Hawaiian rib eyes and lamb chops.”

10. Allyson Felix

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Track and field athlete, Allyson Felix, shared her training routine with EatingWell. “I train about five hours a day. Three of those hours are on the track -- warming up, stretching, doing drills and then the actual workout, which may be anything from very technical work on the starting blocks to speed work. From there, I go to the gym and spend a couple of hours doing strength and conditioning.”

11. Suni Lee

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Suni Lee is a gymnast who competed in the 2020 Olympics. She opened up about training for the 2024 Olympics and moving past what people thought of her to NBC Olympics. "I still struggle with that daily. I mean, whenever I'm talking to my coaches, I always get really sad because I'm like, 'I'm never going to be the same. I'm not the same Suni; not the same athlete.' And they're like, 'Good! You don't want to be. You're doing everything and more right now. And you should be proud of the way that you've been able to come back from everything, because you never thought that you would be in this position.' And I was like, 'You're so right!' It's just hard mentally because I'm like, 'Wow, I was in a really good spot last year or last Olympics (when) getting ready.'"

12. Ashleigh Barty

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Tennis player Ashleigh Barty shared her diet secrets in an interview with Body & Soul. “Everything in moderation and listen to your body. If I’m feeling run-down, I make sure I’m eating well and looking after myself by having plenty of fresh fruit and veg. A steak or red meat usually helps when I’m run-down, too.”

13. Chloe Dygert

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Chloe Dygert is a professional cyclist. She shared with Velo that she is always trying to improve herself and her performance. “There’s not one thing that I would consider myself good at. Even if I won the stage at RideLondon, what could I have done better? I’m always looking to better myself, even when things are perfect. I never want to stop. That’s how I’m going to get better.”

14. Dina Asher-Smith

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Dina Asher-Smith is a sprinter. She revealed to Vogue that since she spends so much time outside, she has to wear sunscreen. “I’m a big skincare girl. The most important things for me in the day are a good cleanser and SPF, especially now I’m training in Texas, where it’s super hot and I want to make sure my skin is clean and happy. I love a double cleanse, with Estee Lauder’s Cleansing Balm followed by Sarah Chapman’s Rapid Radiance Cleanse. For keeping my skin hydrated I love the Noble Panacea serums, and then for sun protection, I’ll typically go in with Estée Lauder’s antioxidant sunscreen.”

15. Katie Ledecky

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Olympic swimmer, Katie Ledecky, opened up about her diet with E! News. “I keep it pretty consistent. The only day that I don't train is Sundays so even right now when I'm taking a little bit of time off, I'm trying to stick to a pretty regular routine. So oatmeal for breakfast, some sort of egg sandwich for lunch, or eggs with toast and then dinner is what varies the most but it is either carbs or some sort of protein: chicken, steak, salmon, something along those lines.”

16. Naomi Osaka

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Naomi Osaka is a very successful tennis player. She shared how she takes care of her body to Harper’s Bazaar. “I've actually gotten super into hot yoga lately. I had never tried it until a few months ago, and now I love it. I started out with 60-minute classes, and now I'm doing 90-minute classes—I feel amazing afterwards. I also usually get a post-training massage treatment a few times a week. But in between massages, I always use my Hyperice Hypervolt Go, because it's super lightweight and portable, which makes it easy to carry it wherever I go. It really helps keep my muscles loose and soothed after tough practices and matches.”

17. Chloe Kim

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Chloe Kim is a very successful snowboarder, and competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics. She shared some of her skincare secrets in an interview with Allure. "I have pretty dry skin, so I like to just slather my face with thick moisturizer,” Kim explains. “The important thing is I have to wear sunscreen because I get really bad goggle tan. I still do, but sunscreen makes it much better."

18. Mikaela Shiffrin

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Olympic skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, revealed to Sports Illustrated that her coaches record her practice sessions. She says that this helps her figure out what she needs to improve on. “We can objectively rate what my energy levels should be, across a period of time, given this data,” Shiffrin says. “There’s a graph showing the peaks and valleys of my training, and the highest intensity blocks versus the lowest intensity blocks. The last couple of years we’ve collected enough data to see when I get tired in a really intense training block.”

19. Madison Keys

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Madison Keys is a very successful tennis player. She talked about what she focuses on when she trains to Thorne.com. “I think the most important areas to me are energy, recovery, and sleep. If I’m training or in a tournament with matches on back-to-back days, then I focus on those things that make sure I’m physically at my best. I do really long training sessions outside when it’s hot in Florida, where I’m based, so I have to be on top of putting the right things into my body to stay hydrated and energized. Depending on where I’m playing a tournament, it could be just as hot as Florida and a match could go a few hours. If my body is feeling good physically, then it allows me to play more freely and focus on my tennis.”

20. Katarina Johnson-Thompson

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Track and field star, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, talked about her training routine to Bulk.com. “What I eat and how you fuel your body is such an important part of the program. It literally gives me the energy I need to train and compete. Having the right nutrition helps with allowing my body to rest and recover correctly, repairing muscle fatigue after a tough session or competition. You are dealing with such small margins in elite sport that not paying attention to your nutrition would be like not having a training plan.”