Tennis Stunner Maria Sakkari in Two-Piece Workout Gear Goes "Back to Work"

Maria Sakkari, the Greek tennis sensation known for her powerful game and athletic physique, shares more than just tennis victories on her Instagram. She gives fans a peek into her fitness regimen and daily lifestyle habits that help her stay in top shape both on and off the court. From intense squats to cardio and strength training, Maria is dedicated to pushing her physical limits. Want proof? She shared a selfie in two-piece workout gear showing off flat abs and says “Okay, back to work.” Read on for what she does to stay in shape.

1. She Does Squats

Squats are a powerhouse exercise, and Maria performs them regularly with a barbell. Squats help to build strength in the legs, glutes, and core, improving balance and stability—critical for her on-court agility. In one photo, she shared her form during a squat session, captioning it, “A workout through the lens of @olympiakrasagaki 🏼📸.” Squats also help enhance muscle endurance, allowing her to stay strong during long matches.

2. She Does Cardio

Cardio is essential for maintaining endurance, and Maria incorporates treadmill sessions into her routine. Cardiovascular exercise boosts heart health, increases lung capacity, and improves stamina, all of which are crucial for high-intensity sports like tennis. By strengthening her cardiovascular system, Maria ensures she can maintain energy levels during extended periods of play, enabling her to perform at her best on the court.

3. She Likes Hype Music

Listening to hype music is part of Maria’s mental game. Music with a strong rhythm can increase motivation and focus, helping athletes get into the zone before a performance. Maria shared with Whoop that she enjoys listening to “Poison” by Alice Cooper before matches, using the upbeat music to fuel her intensity. The right music can elevate heart rate, improve concentration, and enhance overall workout performance, making it a valuable tool in her preparation.

4. She Drinks Coffee

Maria's love for coffee, especially the Greek freddo variety, provides her with a regular energy boost. Coffee not only enhances alertness and focus but also improves physical performance by increasing adrenaline levels. In her post, she mentioned, “Back home, drinking freddo coffee is part of our daily consumption habits.” Consumed in moderation, coffee can improve endurance and reduce fatigue, making it a smart addition to her fitness routine.

5. She Works Out Hardcore

Maria’s intense workout routine includes plyometric exercises, which focus on building explosive power. Plyometrics, such as jumping and catching a heavy exercise ball, enhance muscle strength, coordination, and speed—vital for her quick movements on the court. These high-intensity exercises improve agility, allowing Maria to react faster to her opponents. Her dedication to strength training helps her maintain peak athletic condition, crucial for her sport.

6. She Plays Tennis, Of Course!

Tennis is one of the best full-body workouts, combining cardio, agility, and muscle strength. Regular play improves heart health, increases stamina, and builds coordination. Additionally, tennis helps to enhance mental focus and strategic thinking, key components of Maria’s game. Playing frequently allows Maria to refine her skills while keeping her body in top shape, making tennis not just her sport, but a primary source of her fitness.

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!💯😌”

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.”

The Greek pro tennis player, Maria Sakkari, has worked her way to the top, ranking among the best in the world. She said on Instagram, translated to english, “a workout through her lens@olympiakrasagaki.” As she shares her workouts and health tips online, we can all learn a thing or two from Maria‘s dedication to her goals and overall well-being. Here are some tips and tricks that she uses to stay fit.

1. She hits the gym

She does box jumps, weight training, medicine ball, and more. “I think it’s my working spirit, and it's actually one thing I like,” she said. “I like to spend time in the gym, just to feel like I'm actually working really hard. That gives me a lot of confidence. Sakkari said on Instagram, “tag someone who you know would crush this workout”, leaving followers joking that there would be no one else able to complete such a physically demanding task.

2. She plays tennis

She practices often, so she can bring her A game to the court. “Whenever I feel good with my body then I know that I can play well and I can actually compete the right way,” she said. She said on Instagram, “so proud to represent #TeamHellas and start with a win at the @olympics 💪 Pame! 📷 ITF images via Dubreuil/Kopatsch/Zimmer @itftennis.”

3. She indulges on occasion

She splurges on fun foods, like this video on Instagram of her chowing down on a massive croissant captioned, “Surprise… 🤭🥐.” According to Northwestern Medicine, “research shows that after a cheat meal, the body increases its metabolism, causing you to burn calories faster. This is caused by increased levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells and responsible for maintaining energy balance in the body.”

4. She enjoys running

While on the go, she came to Instagram to say, “just like home @bulgarihotels.” She’s not the biggest fan of long distance running, but loves a sprint. “The gym is probably one of my hobbies…it’s something I really enjoy. I hate running long distances, but I really like lifting, sprints…I basically like everything except long distance running,” she said.

5. She enjoys traveling

She travels the world, as seen in this Instagram post of her with a koala that’s captioned, “fun week with the Greek team in Sydney for the @unitedcuptennis! Huge thanks to all the fans and the Greek community of Sydney for the support! Next up Melbourne 🇬🇷🤩 #TeamHellas.” According to Lee Health, “traveling for pleasure can contribute to subjective well-being because people have more opportunities to detach from their work environment, to experience new things, and to control what they want to do during vacations,” says Paul Simeone, Ph.D., Vice President and Medical Director of Behavioral Health with Lee Health. “There’s ample research to support that positive travel experiences can make a person healthier, can strengthen their relationships, and benefits their overall wellness.”