Ashley Harkleroad's Playboy Spread: US Tennis Star To Bare All In August Edition (PICTURES)

U.S. tennis star Ashley Harkleroad was crushed by Serena Williams in the first round of this year's French Open, but she upstaged that loss with a provocative announcement: she will bare it all in the August edition of Playboy. Harkleroad is apparently the first tennis player to ever appear in Playboy:

The 23-year-old Harkleroad found herself kicking her heels earlier this year when she was recovering from surgery to remove a cyst from her ovaries.

While others would choose to convalesce on a relaxing vacation or just lounge in front of the television, Harkleroad chose to accept the offer of posing nude for the world's most famous glamour magazine.

"I was just laying there for three weeks, and, you know, an offer came to me," the woman from smalltown Georgia told goggle-eyed reporters.

"I thought, well, I'm not really doing anything right now so I thought about it and it was something that I did. I'm proud of my body. I was representing a female athlete's body."

Scroll down for photos of Harkelroad from this year's French Open.

Comments

[1question]

"U.S. tennis star Ashley Harkleroad was crushed by Serena Williams..."

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Serena is a star but...Ashley Harkleroad is a star...!?!?

[SlippingInTheDip]

Ashley is rated 61st....thats barely a beginner...lol

[Lust4Lost]

yeah, a lot of 23 year olds have already made a million $$

[kvass]

Just be thankful it is not L.D.

[NC2NJ]

LMAO!!! That is so not nice.....

[ViciousOrphan]

The third picture in this article should be removed, if thats what I think it is. Not a very flattering shot.

[kentay305]

you must be a woman.... lol

[watchingthings]

Maybe she wanted that pic to appear.......lets say as proof that everything still works......after the surgery she had earlier in the year.

[nsmavrik]

BIG DEAL. Do you honestly think that the pictures are going to be any good or do justice to what this beautiful girl actually looks like.

All Playboy will do is airbrush the hell out of all the pics, that none of the original image will be there.

There is a reason NO ONE likes Playboy anymore. It used to be the girl next door. Now it is the girl next door as long as the girl next door is a full life size Barbi doll. All plastic.

Their images are crap and worst of all THEY ARE NOT REAL. They are photoshopped. You might as well superimpose the celebrity head of your choice onto a nondescript professional nude body. It's the same thing.

If Playboy makes an oath that all their images are non-altered in ANY way, they all these celebrities that pose nude would have some credibility.

Til then, these announcements of a celebrity going nude on Playboy is as uninteresting and hollow as if a two term president going to the middle east at the end of their second term so as to broker a peace deal. NO ONE CARES.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

Hey - the articles are great.

[Badbone]

Because in America, you're not really famous until you show your tits.

[CountryBeforeParty]

Amen! ;)

[capitalismisntamoral]

I know, it's kinda sick.

There used to be a time when the 'serious' actresses didn't do nudity. And if you
started out as a nude bimbo, that's all you'd ever be. Of course the only gratutious
nudity you get in today's movies is by dudes, ugh.

Nowadays , you can't win an award without baring it all. And it's not even very hot.
If you look at the Academy Awards won by women recently, Gwyneth Paltrow was
topless in Shakespeare in Love, Halle Berry was naked half the time in Sling
Blade or whatever that movie was called. Natalie Portman was nominated for
playing a stripper in Closer - the clip they played was cringe-worthy. I think she's
beautiful and smart, but her acting ... blech.

[dartagnan]

"Halle Berry was naked half the time in Sling Blade or whatever that movie was called."

It's called Monster's Ball. Has one of the most erotic sex scenes ever filmed.

[dgscol]

Are those bloomers?

[dgscol]

Tennis, where is thy dignity? first grunting, and now, this.

[Bluedog12]

Stick to tennis.

[bookon]

>>even going so far as to offer lewd pictures.

Really, a woman hitting a tennis ball is lewd? Fully dressed lewd?

>>I always thought of this site as a place free from the hate and the Oppression of the Patriarchy, but I guess I have to think again.


Now you just sound like Billo crying about the war on Christmas.

[1will]

Don't listen to NoSIllyName, be proud of your body and show it to us.

[NoSillyName]

1will, lol, I'm sure she won't listen to me!! You'll be seeing the body soon, I'm sure. Have fun!

[1rewd1]

Heck, I'm there!

[TuffPosh]

I'm shocked that the HuffPost would stoop to objectifying women like this, even going so far as to offer lewd pictures. I always thought of this site as a place free from the hate and the Oppression of the Patriarchy, but I guess I have to think again.

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http://HotSop.com/

[krayyy]

have you been hanging out with geraldine ferraro too much lately?

[brently]

Lewd? A strong, athletic woman competing in her sport of choice? These pictures are anything but vulgar. The ones to come in Playboy may be another story, but give the woman her right to decide what to do with her own body before you pass judgement.

[KarateKid]

Oh Jesus, another narrow minded Feminnazi. Go to any newsstand and see how women objectify themselves, for money.

[dooleynoted]

Judging by these photos posing naked will almost be redundant.

[strifeknot]

Bah. I'd prefer Serena or Ana Ivanovic.

[NoSillyName]

Proud of your body you may be. Doesn't mean exposing it to the world is the best path to take. Its not a very dignified thing to do. You want untold numbers of men masturbating on your image? Go for it.

[krayyy]

level minded folks would say that this is an individuals decision, and your morals don't really matter. i think they are right.

[Okieborn]

Your Right krayyy
If a lady is walking down the street and feels like showing her breast, this is a decision not about morals. LOL !!

[NoSillyName]

krayyy, yes, it surely is an individual's decision. I didn't say anything about "morals", mine or anybody elses, because I don't think its immoral. I said it isn't a dignified thing to do. I think its sad that some women feel proud to be in Playboy. Just my opinion.