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Tuesday 24 June 2014

Venus Williams and Tomas Berdych go all-nude for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue

In the magazine, the five-time Wimbledon champion and nine-time Grand Slam winner, opens up about her battle with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that forced her to take a six-month break from tennis from 2011-12.

Tennis Stars Venus Williams, Tomas Berdych Pose for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue.
Five years after her sister, Serena, lands on the cover, Venus Williams takes her place on the pages of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue.
Venus Williams might not be the dominating Grand Slam Champion she once was, but the 34-year-old still keeps her body in championship form.
Williams, along with 2010 Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, will be featured in the sixth annual ESPN The Magazine Body Issue, which hits newsstands on July 11.

Both Williams and Berdych are currently playing at Wimbledon and each have had success at the All England Club. Williams has won five Wimbledon singles titles and is only one of four women to accomplish such a feat. Berdych hasn't won a Wimbledon title yet, but he's historically played his best tennis on the grass courts in London. And the photos show Berdych remains in tip top shape and not going anywhere.
In addition to readers getting a close-up view of Williams posing nude, the magazine includes a story on not-yet-reported details of Williams' battle with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that forced her to take a six-month hiatus from the sport in 2011-2012.
"At my worst point, I wasn't able to play tennis at all," Williams told ESPN. "Just the whole quality of my life was compromised. You are so tired it hurts. You have to accept that you're never going to be 100%."
Tennis Stars Venus Williams, Tomas Berdych Pose for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. Max Vadukul for ESPN The Magazine Tomas Berdych becomes the second men’s ATP player to be featured in the magazine, joining American John Isner.
"Because of Sjogren's syndrome, I have to be careful. If I train too hard then I won't be able to do anything the next day. There would be times when I'd park my car at home, and I fell asleep behind the wheel because I was so tired! It's a balance between pushing myself as much as I can and being reasonable about what I can achieve and what my body will tolerate."
Venus’ turn on the pages comes five years after her sister, Serena, graced the mag’s cover.
Berdych, 28, becomes the second ATP player to pose for the Body Issue. America's John Isner was featured last year.
Berdych opens up to The Magazine about the intricacies of grass-court tennis and how he handles them.

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