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Sports superstars sizzle in ESPN The Body issue

Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki has bared all alongside a number of other high-profile athletes in ESPN's annual The Body issue.

While the official issue hasn't been released yet, ESPN has given fans a sneak peek at a number of the stars' shoots.

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Those athletes include Wozniacki, NBA star Isaiah Thomas and NFL star Ezekiel Elliott.

Wozniacki is used to being in the spotlight after her high-profile engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy ended badly, and says she's very comfortable in the skin she's in.

Wozniacki. Image: Getty
Wozniacki. Image: Getty

"I think being in the public eye and getting judged for everything you do and however you look, I think that helped me," the 26-year-old said.

"Just saying, 'You know what? People will have an opinion. Some people will love you; some people will not.'

"I've realised that I can't spend time stressing about something I don't have and just embrace what I do have.

"It's so in to have curves now. It's in to be looking healthy. If I don't look like a supermodel on the runway, that's OK because I look good in my own way."

Wozniacki also opened up about how she stays in shape during the grueling WTA circuit.

"Growing up, I would really just kill it in the gym until I couldn't stand anymore," she said.

"The older I've gotten, I'm so much better at listening to my body. If you push yourself too much, it's going to be worse."

This isn't the first time Wozniacki has stripped off in the name of female empowerment, also appearing in the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.

Dallas Cowboys running back Elliot said he's never been shy to show off his physique.

"Since I was younger, I've never really liked to wear shirts. And I still don't like to wear shirts, so, I mean, you'll find me with my shirt off a lot," he told ESPN.

For Boston Celtics guard Thomas, who's only 1.75m tall and 84kg, the shoot represented all the hard work he's done to get where he is.

Many experts wrote him off because of his small frame, but Thomas opened up about how he built his body to match it with the bigger players.

"I mean, the things that I'm doing, if I were 6-5 or 6-6, it would be magnified even more, talked about even more," Thomas said.

"And that's how it's been my whole career — my whole life. I've never been given a fair shake, even to this day.

"I always say nothing's been given to me. I always took what I believe is mine, and I always took advantage of the opportunity that I've got. And not to put anything against the bigger guys, but for the most part, they're handed a lot.

"Us little guys in the gutter, we're not handed anything. We're not given the benefit of the doubt. They always overlook us.

"If I were 6-3 or 6-5, I'd be the best player in the world. No doubt about it. And that's not just me thinking that; I mean, the world would think that."

Other athletes set to feature are New England Patriots Super Bowl hero Julian Edelman, San Jose ice hockey players Brent Burns and Joe Thornton, husband and wife duo Zach Ertz (NFL) and Julie Ertz, and WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike.