RACHEL STUHLMANN has revealed that she was initially “afraid” to be herself in tennis because it was a “buttoned-up industry.”
The 26-year-old is a former tennis pro turned influencer and she is happier now she has found her own way of bringing people to the sport.
She told The Up & In Show podcast: “So I feel like in this past year I have really embraced who I am as a person in this industry.
“I feel like years ago I was a little more afraid to be myself in an industry that has been super traditional and buttoned-up.
“I am myself I have done so much in this industry and I am going to be who I am and I want to keep bringing people to this sport in a positive way.
“Earlier this year I had a social media manager that helped me build my brand, so I really focused on creating content.
“I loved traveling to tennis tournaments whether it be for work or on my own.
“I was like these tournaments are so special and they all have their own personalities and I am going to start highlighting them.”
Stuhlmann believes that she is taking a unique approach to tennis but has impressed herself with how she has overcome problems.
She added: “For what I am doing here has never been a playbook.
“So that is something I have had to discover on my own kind of path here, there have been a lot of challenges.
“But in the end, it has definitely been worth it and it has been really fun.”
The former tennis pro recently insisted that she can replicate the success of golf influencer Paige Spiranac.
The former golf pro was named Maxim’s “sexiest woman alive”, Rachel told the magazine: “Tennis and golf are very similar sports.
“I respect what Paige has done for the sport of golf so much!
“We have similar stories, and I aspire to continue to push the sport of tennis forward while being unapologetically me.”
