Tennis star Daniela Hantuchova is no longer the Slovakian Skeleton

[Mrs P]

How tennis star Daniela the gaunt's grown a figure to flaunt

By Julie Moult Last updated at 9:45 AM on 25th May 2009
source: How tennis star Daniela the gaunt's grown a figure to flaunt | Mail Online



It isn't long since she was known as the Slovakian Skeleton – her angular frame prompting rumours of an eating disorder.

But just look at tennis star Daniela Hantuchova now.

The 26-year-old is happy to pose in a swimsuit to reveal her more rounded physique. Gone are the sinewy muscles and visible rib cage.
Her incredible 44-inch legs now look shapely rather than scrawny.
Despite her transformation, 5ft 11in Miss Hantuchova is still unhappy at the way sportswomen come under constant scrutiny, particularly about their weight.
'I think that there is way too much emphasis on the way we look in sport in general,' she said in an interview last year.
'With the guys nobody bothers, except to say that Ronaldo (the Brazilian footballer) has got a little bit heavy or something.
'But with the women, there is too much. Everyone has a different shape. People should focus only on the game.
'After ten years on the tour, I can handle things. This is what I love doing and I wouldn't change it for anything else in the world.'





Miss Hantuchova, a classically-trained pianist who speaks an impressive six languages, looked painfully thin and appeared on the verge of a nervous breakdown when she crashed out of Wimbledon in tears in 2003.
She blamed the pressure of the game for her change in her shape after bursting on to the scene as a 15-year-old.

'Yes, I did change shape, because there was too much pressure on me and I was not ready to handle it all,' she said. 'Now I hope that I can be some kind of inspiration for young kids, by showing them that you can turn things around.'

The former world number five, now ranked 33, was posing in Miami where she was competing in the Sony Eriksson Open.

In February she appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimwear Edition alongside Bar Refaeli – the Israeli model girlfriend of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.


Enlarge Puny: Six years ago, before she crashed out of Wimbledon in tears

[Geest]

This picture should be in the anatomy books. You can identify each and every muscle a human has.
It's not nice at all aesthetically but she's not anorexic looking either. Her body fat count must be 0. She was one lean muscle.

[Palermo]

What an improvement. God I'd love to have legs that long.

[celeb_2006]

That is horrifying someone would wear such a stupid looking outfit for tennis.

[Daphne]

^
Yes, exactly. Her bottoms look like an adult diaper.

[MarieAntoinette]

She looks better now, she probably had zero body fat before.

[stef]

her body looks absolutely amazing now.

[cupcake]

She does look better. Her toes are as long as her legs

[MrsDark]

Sounds like she grew rapidly like a weed to reach that height and it took a few years for her body to adjust.

[arie_skop]

Her body looks so much better now, and healthier.