Skinny Tennis Star Is Talk of Wimbledon

L O N D O N, June 24 -- — Daniela Hantuchova was already known for her top-10 tennis skills and movie star looks but recently the tall, blond athlete from Slovakia has become the talk of Wimbledon for slimming down — to a degree few see as healthy.

Her barely there figure has earned 20-year-old Hantuchova headlines in the tabloids. Sports commentators, including former Wimbledon champion Pam Shriver, say she's gone too far.

"She's definitely too thin to be a top tennis player," Shriver said. "In this day and age, you need strength and a little bit of bulk, and if you're too thin, the power just blows you back."

While Hantuchova was hailed last year as the new Anna Kournikova for her model good looks, this year she's being questioned for looking too thin. But unlike Kournikova, Hantuchova also performs very well on the court.

Hantuchova is ranked No. 9 in the world and won her first-round match Monday in straight sets at Wimbledon. She reached the second round with a 6-4 6-1 victory over France's Marion Bartoli.

Earlier this year, at the French Open, Hantuchova faced a barrage of questions about her eating habits.

"I try to eat calories before the matches," she told reporters. "But as you see, when I play long matches I just burn so much that it's really hard to get it all back."

Her coach says she's lost weight only because of heavy workouts and strongly denies Hantuchova is anorexic. Still, to some, she's a public symptom of the pressure some female players feel to make it on the court and the catwalk.

Weight has long been an issue in other female sports, gymnastics and figure skating included, but some say now that it's being discussed at Wimbledon, the issue may get the attention it deserves.

"The media still focuses on women's looks way more than they do on men's looks," said ABCNEWS' sports analyst Christine Brennan. "I think we're another 30 years away from that changing. Some say the fact it's being discussed openly here is a step forward."

Some sports commentators have said that Hantuchova should leave the tour for a month or two to bulk up for the sake of her game, and her health.