Tennis Star Donna Vekić in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares a Special Selfie

Donna Vekić, a professional tennis player, has achieved remarkable success in her career, winning four singles titles and earning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. This year, she reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, further cementing her reputation as one of the sport’s top competitors. Vekić recently shared a glimpse of her fitness routine on Instagram, posting a story of herself in black workout clothes at the gym. Beyond her time on the court, Vekić prioritizes healthy eating, balanced nutrition, and consistent fueling to maintain peak performance. She’s also candid about her journey, including the challenges she faced after knee surgery. Reflecting on her comeback, Vekić emphasizes the hard work and determination that have brought her to new heights in her career. Here’s how she stays focused and at the top of her game.

1. She Plays Tennis

Tennis is the main thing that keeps Vekić in shape. According to Lee Health, the sport has a lot of health benefits. “Paul Zavala, an occupational therapist at Lee Health, says tennis contributes to fitness, strength, agility, flexibility, reflexes, and overall health. Tennis helps you learn better footwork and balance since mobility is a key to properly hitting the ball. Tennis utilizes upper, core, and lower body muscles – but it’s also one of the best cardiovascular and aerobic exercises you can do. Playing a few sets increases oxygen flow, circulation, and helps you fight back heart disease. That kind of physical workout also decreases lipids, which helps lower cholesterol.”

2. She Eats Healthy

Since she’s a professional athlete, Vekić has to eat a healthy diet. She talked about her approach to eating in an interview with Tennis.com. Vekić says that balance is a big factor in her diet. “Nutrition is very important—up to 70 percent of helping you play your best—but we can also get away with taking a few liberties here and there. It all comes down to timing, and when you’re eating right.”

3. She Works With A Nutritionist

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Vekić revealed in her Tennis.com interview that she decided to work with a nutritionist to help her plan meals and eat better. “I started working with a nutritionist in the last off-season, so I had a set meal plan, but it’s a bit trickier to follow it when I’m on the road. I have to eat a lot in restaurants, which can make it harder to plan ahead, as opposed to when I’m able to cook at home.”

4. She Consistently Fuels Herself

When Vekić is on the court, she has to stay fueled. She revealed her pre, during, and post game foods in her Tennis.com interview. “I try to eat about two hours before a match, but if the match before mine goes longer than planned, I will have a small snack, like an energy bar or a banana. Afterward, I try not to eat carbs for dinner, and I try to eat my dinner early because I think it helps me sleep better.”

5. She’s Proud Of Herself

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Vekić had a great competitive year, and she’s extremely proud of it. She revealed that she nearly quit tennis after knee surgery in an interview with AP News, which is why she’s so proud of herself. “Those couple of years were very tough. I didn’t think I was ever going to come back to the level that I even had last year. So this now, reaching my best result ever at a Slam, I’m really proud of myself, of the work that I’ve done, of the work that my team has done. I’m very thankful to them for believing in me when I didn’t.”

Croatian tennis player Donna Vekic may have been knocked out of Wimbledon but based on her recent social media posts, she’s still in high spirits (she went on vacation, and well-deserved). Vekic, 28, previously shared a picture of herself wearing black pants and a matching long-sleeved shirt, sitting on the grass while holding a tennis racket. “Hello you 🌱🫶🏻,” she captioned the post. What’s next for the athlete? Here’s what her diet and wellness regimen looks like.

1. Plant-Based Food

Vekic enjoys experimenting with plant-based recipes. “Nutrition is very important—up to 70 percent of helping you play your best—but we can also get away with taking a few liberties here and there,” she told Tennis.com. “It all comes down to timing, and when you’re eating right. I really like @deliciouslyella, who posts about plant-based living. I’m not vegan, but I love her recipes and products.”

2. Working With Nutritionist

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Vekic works with professionals to make sure she is getting all the nutrients she needs. “I started working with a nutritionist in the last off-season, so I had a set meal plan, but it’s a bit trickier to follow it when I’m on the road,” she told Tennis.com. “I have to eat a lot in restaurants, which can make it harder to plan ahead, as opposed to when I’m able to cook at home. I try to eat about two hours before a match, but if the match before mine goes longer than planned, I will have a small snack, like an energy bar or a banana. Afterward, I try not to eat carbs for dinner, and I try to eat my dinner early because I think it helps me sleep better.”

3. Post-Match Routine

Vekic focuses on recovery after matches. “My post-match routine will change quite dramatically depending on if I win or lose,” she told Metro UK. “If I get knocked out, I usually just rush to the locker room, shower and get out as fast as possible. Hopefully I’ll win on Tuesday and then it’s the usual bike, stretching, ice bath and having a bit of food somewhere in between as well as media duties. Providing I don’t finish too late, I’ll take my team out for a nice dinner but if not then it’s usually straight to bed.”

4. Grand Slam Meal

Vekic loves cooking her mother’s famous lasagne, and knows exactly what her ultimate post Grand-Slam meal would be. “I would probably have a drink first, and then order a burger, followed by a Nutella pizza for dessert,” she told Tennis.com.

5. Proud Of Her Work

Vekic had a rough time overcoming injuries. “Those couple of years were very tough. I didn’t think I was ever going to come back to the level that I even had last year,” she told AP. “So this now, reaching my best result ever at a Slam, I’m really proud of myself, of the work that I’ve done, of the work that my team has done. I’m very thankful to them for believing in me when I didn’t.”

Victoria Azarenka, a world-class tennis player, is always preparing for her next big match, and she recently shared a glimpse of her routine on Instagram. As she geared up for the US Open, she proudly showed off her new workout gear with the caption, “I’ve got the shoes, I’ve got the dress, that makes me…ready for the @usopen ✨.” From her disciplined approach to injury prevention to her love of various workouts, Azarenka’s fitness regimen reflects the dedication of a true champion. Here’s how she stays in top shape.

1. She Plays Tennis

Tennis is one of the ways that Azarenka stays in shape. The sport has a lot of health benefits. The Columbia Association states, “Tennis is an ace for stress relief too, which boosts your mood and keeps your heart healthy. And we can’t skimp over the warm and fuzzy traits it instills, like discipline, patience and teamwork, all in a healthy social outlet. A study done at Southern Connecticut State University even found that tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism and self-esteem and lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes and non-athletes.”

2. She’s Disciplined

Azarenka talked about her training secrets in an interview with Elite Daily. She says that having the right mindset is important. Azarenka also says that she is very disciplined, and that has helped with her career. “I think it depends on what you want to achieve. If you want to be a champion, then I think something you have to really work at is work ethic [because] it is fundamental to bringing all the other aspects together.”

3. She Focuses On Injury Prevention

Being a professional athlete means that Azarenka has to be concerned about potential injuries. She tells Elite Daily that she did a lot of research to see what she can improve on. “For me it was a lot of educating myself to just understand, first of all, how the body works so I knew what to do. I'm constantly reading and learning injury prevention. Basically, injury prevention is discipline. It was also a lot about mindset, 'cause I hate doing it -- like, I absolutely hate stretching. But once I started to understand it a little bit more, it became fun for me.”

4. She Strength Trains

Azarenka shared some of her favorite workouts with Elite Daily. She says that strength training is a big part of her routine. “I do power exercises like medicine ball throws and I recently, like a year ago, started doing olympic weightlifting. because it's the most complex movement with the most explosiveness and power in it to help you extend faster and get to the first step faster.”

5. She Does A Variety Of Workouts

Azarenka shared some more of her favorite workouts with Elite Daily. She does a lot of different things to keep herself in shape. “I love dancing. I just went to a dance class in New York. It's called Ratchet Zumba. I knew about Zumba, but I didn't know about Ratchet Zumba... Making your body think and learn different movements always helps you with coordination and flexibility. I love playing basketball, I love swimming, I do paddle-boarding. I do a lot.”

Rachel Stuhlmann, known for her dynamic presence as a model and tennis influencer, brings her passion for wellness, sports, and fitness to every aspect of her life. In a recent Instagram post, she shared behind-the-scenes glimpses of creating her content, showcasing her dedication to the sport and the energy she brings to each shoot. “BTS filming of a tennis drill w the bestie😭💕🎾,” she captioned the video, giving fans a sneak peek into her content creation process. Whether she’s playing tennis, staying disciplined in her fitness routine, or sharing her wellness journey, Stuhlmann’s approach is all about intentionality and joy. Here’s a closer look at the habits that keep her active, healthy, and balanced.

1. She Plays Tennis

Tennis is one of the ways that Stuhlmann stays in shape. Better Health states that tennis has a lot of health benefits. “Playing tennis has many health benefits including: increasing aerobic capacities, lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure, improving metabolic function, increasing bone density, lowering body fat, improving muscle tone, strength and flexibility, increasing reaction times.”

2. She Plays Pickleball

Stuhlmann also plays pickleball to keep herself in shape. The Cleveland Clinic states that the sport has a lot of benefits. “Sports like pickleball stress your muscles and bones. Your body responds by making them stronger. Routine pickleball play can help you: Improve muscle strength. Prevent osteoporosis, a disease that weakens your bones and can lead to fractures.”

3. She Values Wellness

Stuhlmann opened up about her wellness journey in an interview with Fitness Gurls. “My whole life has been tennis; however, there was a short time right after college when I shifted much of my focus from the tennis world to fitness training. I think I was just so excited to be finished with only being able to do tennis-specific workouts and for the first time in my life, I had the freedom to do whatever workouts I wanted to! I began weight training, working out extremely hard, and focusing on my nutrition. I went all in; I did two strategic workouts a day and followed a weighed-out meal plan given to me by a nutritionist who helped me reach my goals.”

4. She’s Disciplined

Stuhlmann talked about the discipline that she gained from tennis in her Fitness Gurls interview. “I loved being an athlete, and playing college tennis taught me many qualities—time management, work ethic, and resilience. Committing to my studies was not as easy for me as developing my tennis career. Fortunately, I was provided with great tutors and mentors at Mizzou that helped me stay on top of my studies. Sometimes outsourcing and working as a team with other people is a good way to succeed. I was super disciplined with my training and workout routines, and once I finished playing in college, I transferred that into my professional career. Now instead of preparing and training for big tennis matches, I focus on everything I have going on in my professional life and how I can best show up for all the various work I do within the sport.”

5. She Plans Her Workouts

Stuhlmann likes to plan out her workouts ahead of time. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram post. “I told you that this year I’m hitting these workouts hard, and with confidence!☺️🔥🧡💪With such a busy schedule, it’s important for me to have efficient and effective workouts & meal plans. Through years of experience (and trial & error🙂), I have figured out what works for me to stay fit and healthy!💯😌”