Tennis Star Ashley Harkleroad Poses In Playboy
Ashley achieves naked ambition to appear in magazine spread
American tennis player Ashley Harkleroad will appear nude in Playboy magazine's August 2008 issue. Harkleroad, who was defeated by Serena Williams at the French Open this weekend, told reporters she has already done the photoshoot.
Harkleroad, 23, will be the first tennis player to appear in Playboy. She said the offer came in earlier this year when she was recovering from surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.
"I was just laying there for three weeks, and an offer came to me," she says. "I thought, well, I'm not really doing anything right now. I'm proud of my body. I was representing a female athlete's body."
About the nude photoshoot, Harkleroad says, "It was hard work, but it was just a completely different experience. It was fun...I try to stay fit, so I'm just trying to represent a female athlete and her body. That can be sexy too, you know." Meanwhile, tennis star Serena Williams expressed admiration for Harkleroad's naked ambition. "I'm just surprised she beat me to it," joked Serena.
Blonde beauty Harkleroad may be following in the footsteps of former tennis pro Anna Kournikova. Kournikova, a blonde Russian bombshell, struggled in her tennis career but was known the world over for her cover girl looks, which enabled her to make tons of money in endorsements despite never having dominated the game.
Harkelroad reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 in June 2003. She is currently ranked 60 in singles and 145 in doubles. Her career prize money to date is $878,621.
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