Tennis Champion Serves Up Tea

When I was a teenager, I worked at an exclusive golf / tennis club. The tennis ladies always drank tea after their tennis games. They never guzzled it like a Gatorade power drink and ran back to the courts. Rather, they would relax, sip tea and socialize.

Author:  robbiesaurus , license:  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

For tennis champion and tea lover Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan, tea is more than a social drink. At 43 years old, Kimiko is the oldest player in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). The majority of her competitors are half her age, the second oldest WTA competitor being Venus Williams, who is 10 years younger than Kimiko.[1] After winning over 200 tournament matches, the Japan Open four times, and WTA ranking of number 4 in the world, Kimiko retired in 1996. She announced her comeback in 2008 and has since become the fifth-oldest player ever to win a Grand Slam singles match, the oldest player to beat a top-10 opponent and the second oldest to win a WTA Tour title.[2]

What is the secret behind Kimiko’s longevity? In regards to her diet, Kimiko says she drinks a lot of tea.[3] “I like Chinese tea. Sometimes Japanese tea. I drink a lot.” When asked about her tea consumption during an interview at the Wimbledon this year, she pulled a tea pot out of her bag and stated “always I carry it.” Laughing, she explained that she doesn’t carry the tea pot onto the court because it’s “too hot.”[4]

Author:  brez66, license:  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

Can tea really help keep you in prime physical shape? Well, tea is reputed to have health benefits. The antioxidant polyphenols in tea have been linked with anti-cancer activity. Certain teas -- like green tea -- are also believed to have benefits for the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic, a renowned non-profit medical research group, modern science has confirmed potential health benefits of tea for fighting problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and even cavities.[5] So whether it’s for health or pleasure, it’s always a good idea to serve tea.


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  [1]Life Begins at 43 for Tennis Star, Mailonline, October 9, 2013, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2450755/Laura-Robson-beaten-older-Kimiko-Date-Krumm.html
[2]Tea Time for Golden Oldie …, Mailonline, June 15, 2013 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2348352/Wimbledon-2013-Kimiko-Date-Krumm-tea-lover--beats-Carina-Witthoft-just-44-minutes.html
[3]Tennis: Chinese Tea Fan … Global Post, June 25, 2013 http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130625/tennis-chinese-tea-fan-kimiko-tells-japans-flops-buck
[4]ASAP Sports Interview at Wimbledon, June 25, 2013 http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=90403
[5]Tea: Enjoy a Cup for Health and Pleasure, November 10, 2010, Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2010-mchi/6046.html