The tennis world was in shock on Monday morning when Rachel Stuhlmann, named the world’s No. 1 influencer by the OutKick Culture Department, appeared in a neck brace.
When influencers like Rachel break their usual content pattern, it captures our attention and raises questions. Rachel is a legend around here, so what happened?!
“Brace yourself.. not my usual post🤣 but wanted to share a life update- not too long ago I was in a car wreck,” Stuhlmann told her fans Monday afternoon. “I underwent anterior cervical disc replacement surgery to remove the C5-C6 disc in my neck and replace it with an artificial disc. I’m extremely thankful to my surgeon @drkimspinemd and the entire New York City @hspecialsurgery staff for taking the best care of me and making this process as successful as possible.”
This unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard. Just a short while ago, everything seemed fine on Black Friday, and there were no indications that Rachel was about to undergo neck surgery.
“As I begin the healing process and physical therapy journey, I’m feeling encouraged, determined, and eager to lean into some qualities that I haven’t tapped into since my competitive playing career 10 years ago.🎾 Thanking God for a successful surgery🙏🙏🙏 And a huge thank you to my amazing family and friends, and everyone who reached out and kept my spirits up. This isn’t a setback! It’s just all part of the comeback and I can’t wait to be feeling 100% again!❤️” the former Mizzou tennis player continued.
It appears Rachel will be taking it easy over the holidays and into the new year as she recovers. That’s a relief.
To those asking if Rachel’s surgery puts her No. 1 tennis influencer title at risk, that’s out of line and insulting. Influencers don’t lose their top spots because life gets in the way for a few weeks. Just like a starting quarterback gets his job back after returning from injury, the same goes for Rachel.
Did Tiger Woods lose his spot as the darling of suburban men after his accident? No, middle-aged men rallied around him. That’s exactly what the OutKick Culture Department will do for Rachel.
#getbetter
Back off, tennis influencer pretenders. Our queen isn’t going anywhere.
Jessica Roberts serves up the latest in the world of tennis. With a love for the racket sport, she reports on tennis matches, player rankings, and Grand Slam events, ensuring readers stay informed about the tennis world.
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