When tennis players dared to bare all – the most revealing images

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Caroline Wozniacki in the 2017 ESPN Body Issue

Tennis players have dared to bare all time and again in a bid to capture the perfect image, with some of the biggest names in the history caught on camera.

From Caroline Wozniacki to John Isner, Venus Williams to Stan Wawrinka and Serena Williams to Daniela Hantuchova, tennis stars have been brave enough to shed their modesty and pose for images that highlighted their athletic physiques at a time when they were at the peak of their sporting prowess.

Here, we look back at some of the more memorable photo shoots:

Caroline Wozniacki

The former world No 1 has always had a passion for fashion and she confirmed as much with her appearance in the 2017 ESPN Body Edition.

An annual publication that celebrated the unclothed body of athletes making headlines in their chosen sports, Wozniacki served up a series of images that confirmed her status as the glamour girl of tennis.

“I don’t care what people think” she told ESPN about the images.

“My fitness is something I pride myself on. I think that’s definitely something that I win quite a few matches on.”

Wozniacki also took part in a famous photo shoot for Sports Illustrated, as she was completely naked aside for some body paint.

Stan Wawrinka

The Swiss maestro has not always courted the media attention, but he certainly caught the eye when he had his moment in the ESPN Body Magazine in 2015.

“My body is for my tennis, it’s for my sport,” he told ESPN.

“I’m not a model at all. I don’t work out to go to the beach, I work out to play well and to do well on the court.

“When I was younger, I was a little bit fat. I wasn’t like big-time fat, I was just overweight — maybe around when I was 13 or 14.

“At that time I wasn’t practicing that much; tennis was just a hobby. But it wasn’t easy to feel that way.

“I enjoy putting myself in situations where you are nervous, but you need to enjoy yourself also.

“I’ve done skydiving, bungee jumping. I quite like those sensations — when you feel a little bit nervous and you don’t really know where you are going.

“It’s a quite good sensation that I love. I like the speed, I like everything.”

Williams sisters

Both Venus and Serena Williams joined the cast of tennis players who have disrobed for a camera shoot.

The female sporting icons have always been fully aware of their significance as icons for so many around the world and they were keen to show their brilliance on camera as they posed to revealing photos.

“It didn’t dawn on me until right when I walked on set that I would have to be without clothes,” Williams told ESPN.

“If I would have thought about it before, there may have been a little less of a chance.”

Her younger sister Serena posed for the ESPN cameras as she said: “It’s me, and I love me. I’ve learned to love me.

“I’ve been like this my whole life and I embrace me. I love how I look. I am a full woman and I’m strong, and I’m powerful, and I’m beautiful at the same time.”

Isner, Radwanska, Berdych and Hantuchova catch the eye

Towering American star was another big-name tennis player who took part in an ESPN Body Magazine photo shoot, with his imaspearing in the 2013 edition that also includes images of Polish tennis star Agnieszka Radwanska.

Czech Republic tennis hero Tomas Berdych was also captured without his tennis kit on in another daring photo shoot, while Daniela Hantuchova caught the eye with her cover shoot in 2014.

While it took bravery for these tennis stars to step out of their comfort zone to be captured by photographers, the final efforts are a celebration of the sporting body.

Caroline Wozniacki Serena Williams Stanislas Wawrinka Venus Williams

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