Former World No.5 Daniela Hantuchova announced her retirement from the sport at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, but her love for healthy living led her to develop the new D-one brand.
Women Fitness’ President Namita Nayyar had the wonderful chance to speak to the tennis star and now entrepreneur, Daniela Hantuchova about her inspirational journey in the world of tennis, health and nutrition.
NN:
When were you first introduced to the world of tennis?
DH:
I was 5 years old and was introduced to tennis by my grandmother who was a player herself.
NN:
You aim to be a perfectionist, which can be taxing, both physically & mentally? Describe your coping skills?
DH:
Thankfully, I had learnt years ago that there is no such thing as being perfect. We can certainly strive for perfection but we will never attain it because there is only one who is perfect and that is GOD. Once you realize that, things become much easier.
NN:
Having won so many tournaments and championships & being No 5 in rankings, which victory do you think is closest to your heart?
DH:
Winning the Fed cup title for Slovakia because that win was not just for me but for my country and teammates as well.
Full Interview on Next Page!
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All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness
NN:
Provide us with more input on D-one bars? Share their health benefits?
DH:
The idea came to me while I was still playing on tour, as I was never able to find a REALLY healthy option to snack on while I was traveling. As tennis players, we’re constantly in planes and hotel rooms and even when you’re just having coffee with your team, there is no product that I knew of that is 100 percent healthy and has only the best and right ingredients. So I wanted to challenge myself and see if I was able to create a product that I can honestly say has only the purest and healthiest stuff in it.
As a base we use dates, as it is the fastest source of energy and something I have used during matches myself. Also I wanted to come up with a package size that is easy to carry in our bags whether we go to to the gym, work, trip or to a night out 🙂
NN:
Your breakfast comprises of…
DH:
Good Italian coffee, d-one (of course), greek yogurt with granola or avocado toast.
NN:
Your biggest tennis inspiration?
DH:
Miloslav Mecir, who won the Olympic games for my country in Seoul. It was in 1988, when I was 5 years old – it was the first time I saw tennis on tv and I immediately asked my parents if they could buy me a tennis racket so that I could go to the Olympics one day as well.
NN:
In May 2017, you suffered a rib injury at Madrid Open which made you reconsider you tennis career. You are currently on the Wimbledon commentary panel for Fox Sports Asia. What routine keeps you fit & going?
DH:
Since I have been super active all my life, it is easy for me to keep going after I have retired. I actually think it is a must for any retired professional athletes to take care of their bodies afterward because if we don’t, that’s where the problems start since our body is used to doing exercise all the time. The only difference now is that I get to do different types of workouts which I never had time for before as it was more tennis specific.
NN:
5 Favorite exercises that are a must in your workout routine.
DH:
Squats are my favorite!!! That particular exercise covers so many muscles in your legs that if you do not have time for anything else that one is the best to do 🙂 Not too heavy on the weights to start with, but nice and deep 🙂 The other 4 would be lunges, physio ball curls, sit ups with medicine ball and the plank.
NN:
What does Women Fitness mean to you?
DH:
Respecting yourself as a woman by giving your body the right amount of exercise, the right amount of nutrition and also the right amount of positive thoughts 🙂 I do strongly believe the beauty comes from within us so it is just as important to think right as it is to exercise 🙂 and of course to love ourselves as we are 🙂
NN:
Biggest challenges you faced after retiring from the sport?
DH:
I gotta say there have not been many as I’m really enjoying my retirement 🙂
NN:
How do you wish to help children through the Daniela Hantuchova Foundation?
DH:
We are running various projects in slovakia to help children move and live a healthy lifestyle from a young age. It is also about teaching and educating the parents about the importance of sports and active lifestyle for their children. The other part we focus on is donating to hospitals that work with children.
NN:
5 things that are always in your gym bag?
DH:
D-one bar, running shoes, headphones so that I can listen to my music while running, Thera band to do my shoulder exercises since I just had surgery so I still have to do rehab, yoga mat and a bottle of water.
NN:
We know from your confession that you are a foodie. Share your 2 favourite indulgence?
DH:
Pancakes and Real Italian gelato:)!!!!
NN:
Which has been your best modelling experience?
DH:
I have to say it would be my very first photo shoot, which happened to be for GQ. It was done in 2002 in San Diego and I also had my very first catwalk the same year in Dublin during a tennis exhibition. It was on a tennis court in front of a big crowd. I had no idea what to do, since this was my first time, but was super fun.
NN:
Message for your 110K followers on Instagram?
DH:
If you want to change the world for better, start with yourself…..give love and respect to yourself and everyone around you.
Follow her on:
- https://www.instagram.com/danielahantuchovaofficial/
- https://twitter.com/dhantuchova
- https://www.facebook.com/Daniela-Hantuchová
Women Fitness thanks Daniela and her team for helping create this incredible feature.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http:// www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness