Heather Watson Claps Back At Trolls: 'Sport Isn't About Looking Perfect'

Heather Watson might be a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, but sadly that doesn’t stop her from facing cruel comments about her looks.

The 25-year-old lost a three-set match against German player Annika Beck at Wimbledon last year and was swiftly subjected to online abuse focusing on her weight and appearance.

Now, almost one year on, she’s hit back at those who judged her.

“Sometimes I wish I could look cute on court but you can’t, you’re just hustling and fighting and that’s the job we have and it shows that we’re strong and that sport isn’t just for boys,” she told the Radio Times.

“And sport definitely isn’t about looking perfect.”

Watson is a first class athlete. Last year, she became Britain’s first female Wimbledon mixed doubles champion since Jo Durie in 1987 - the last time a British woman had won Wimbledon singles was a decade before that in 1977 with Virginia Wade.

Discussing the appearance-based expectations female tennis players (and women in general) face, she said: “We tennis girls are all fit and healthy but we’re on the court with no makeup, and sweaty - we aren’t celebrities who have people on hand to do makeup all the time.

“I actually love wearing sports clothes, having my hair tied up in a bun, not wearing makeup and I think more girls should feel comfortable in their own skin and not have to cover themselves in makeup all the time.

“I do love putting on makeup but you don’t have to wear it every single day and you don’t have to change your body to look like pictures you see on the internet.”

The 25-year-old undergoes six hours of training a day on the court and in the gym, although leading up to competitions she’ll start to ease off. Diet-wise, she doesn’t stick to any specific rules but tries to avoid alcohol as much as possible.

“I have no rules, I love my food and I eat a lot,” she said, before adding that she’s not adverse to treating herself to dessert and eating if she’s hungry.