Venus Williams
Venus shows off her famous curves in the daring new shoot. WILLIAMS HIRAKAWA FOR ESPN THE MAGAZINE

Tennis champion Venus Williams has become the latest sports star to strip naked for ESPN Magazine's annual "Body Issue".

In the July edition of the publication, the 34-year-old proves that even though she is no longer dominating the game, her curves are still on top form.

The stunning image, captured by Williams+Hirakawa, shows Williams standing on a beach while looking up at the sky smiling. Her legs and arms are strategically placed to conceal her modesty.

In the accompanying interview, Williams opens up about Sjogren's syndrome, the autoimmune disorder that almost ruined her career.

"At my worst point, I wasn't able to play tennis at all," Williams told ESPN. "Just the whole quality of my life was compromised. You are so tired it hurts. You have to accept that you're never going to be 100%."

In 2011 she was forced to take a six-month break from tennis while battling the illness. She has since made a sensational comeback.

She continued: "Because of Sjogren's syndrome, I have to be careful. If I train too hard then I won't be able to do anything the next day.

"There would be times when I'd park my car at home, and I fell asleep behind the wheel because I was so tired! It's a balance between pushing myself as much as I can and being reasonable about what I can achieve and what my body will tolerate."

Williams makes her ESPN Body Issue debut alongside 2010 Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, who poses nude using a tennis racket as a prop.

Her appearance comes five years after her sister Serena graced the cover nude.