Tennis Influencer Rachel Stuhlmann Shines Bright and Brilliant in the Sport

The Sport of Tennis is in Good Hands with Rachel Stuhlmann, the “World’s No. 1 Tennis Influencer.”

Rachel Stuhlmann tennis influencer and professional athlete is here to teach us all about the importance of Tennis. The model, influencer, and ex-tennis pro lives and breathes the sport, and has dedicated her life to shining a spotlight on it. With a driven personality like Rachel Stuhlmann behind it, Tennis as a sport is about to see a surge.

When did your love for tennis begin? Have you ever had a moment where you wanted to branch out and try other things, or was tennis always your love and you were sure of it?

My love for tennis began when I was only five years old, and I’ve loved it ever since. My whole life has been tennis; however, there was a short time right after college when I shifted much of my focus from the tennis world to fitness training. I think I was just so excited to be finished with only being able to do tennis-specific workouts and for the first time in my life, I had the freedom to do whatever workouts I wanted to!

I began weight training, working out extremely hard, and focusing on my nutrition. I went all in; I did two strategic workouts a day and followed a weighed-out meal plan given to me by a nutritionist who helped me reach my goals.

I began personal training people and athletes and even did some fitness modeling. Even though I loved this phase of life, I still knew that my calling was in the tennis space. There was a time when the two (fitness and tennis) did crossover when I shifted all my energy back into tennis. I personally trained many tennis players of all ages and levels- young juniors, college teams and players, USTA adult players, etc. In 2018, I even presented at the ITPA World Tennis Fitness Conference in Atlanta, which was a fantastic experience.

Your Instagram has 175K+ followers as of right now. That’s HUGE. Fame usually hits one like a freight train. What was your reaction when you woke up and realized you had amassed an enormous following?

When the first article came out saying that I was voted the World’s No. 1 Tennis Influencer, you’re right; it hit me like a freight train! In only a couple of hours, my accounts grew by tens of thousands of more followers, and I received so many messages from people around the world. It’s been so fun to see so many people show the same enthusiasm for the sport that I do and support me! I am very grateful.

You’ve made strides in becoming popular, and have officially been crowned as the “No.1 Tennis Influencer”. With that said, comparisons to the OG Insta Golf Girl Paige Spiranac have been quite frequent. What do you think about that, and does she have an influence on you?

To be honest, it’s an honor. Golf and tennis are so similar in the sense that they are very traditional and buttoned-up sports. Paige Spiranac has done so much for the sport of golf and has pushed the sport forward. I have been working hard to make the same impact in tennis. If I had to be compared to anyone, I am really happy it’s her!

When you were making this transition into the role of an influencer, using photoshoots to not only express yourself but also showcase how cool and fun tennis can be, and how personally dear it is to your heart, was the transition tough at all? Were you nervous, and if so how did you deal with it and overcome this challenge?

There was a time earlier in my career when I got a little nervous about how I would be perceived in the industry based on my appearance and style. For the past few years, I have put so much work into professional tennis, from media, broadcasting, marketing, writing, tournament sponsorships and partnerships, sales, events, player relations, and much more. I finally realized I could do all these things without changing who I am!

Nothing about my appearance changes my knowledge of the game. Tennis is important to me because it gives me a voice beyond my looks and gives me more depth as a person that I am proud of. I have always stayed true to my original goal from years ago, making the sport of tennis more mainstream and relatable.