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Serena Williams and other tennis stars share their favorite pump-up songs for matches

Barnaby Lane   

Serena Williams and other tennis stars share their favorite pump-up songs for matches
Serena Williams.Getty/Jon Buckle
  • Tennis players often use music to pump themselves up for matches.
  • John McEnroe, Tim Henman, and Jodie Burrage all spoke to Insider about their favorite artists.

Serena Williams loves a song from the movie Flashdance.

Serena Williams loves a song from the movie Flashdance.
Serena Williams now.      Alberto Pezzali/AP Images

Speaking to the "Today" show last week, Williams revealed that she sometimes listens to Michael Sembello's "Maniac" from the 1983 movie "Flashdance" before matches.

More recently, however, she said the song "THIQUE" from Beyoncé's new album, "Renaissance," is helping psych her up.

John McEnroe preferred himself some classic rock.

Beyoncé wasn't around during McEnroe's playing days, but The Eagles and Led Zeppelin were.

"There was never any one song, but my favorite band as a kid growing up was Led Zeppelin," McEnroe told Insider when asked about what music he would listen to before matches.

 

"Then, and these are the obvious choices but nonetheless they're legends: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Police.

"To me, it was an energy thing, it wasn't like I had a good luck song. I didn't listen to 'Message In A Bottle' every time I stepped out on a court in preparation, but I know there are players that do that sort of thing."

Tim Henman relied on Counting Crows.

Tim Henman relied on Counting Crows.
Tim Henman.      Getty/Ian Walton

"One of my big breakthroughs was in 1994 and I was in Tokyo," Henman told Insider. "I qualified for a tournament and you used to get a gift and I remember I got given a Sony Discman."

Discman was Sony's brand name for its portable CD players.

"So I got this Discman and one of the CDs I bought was out there was by a band called Counting Crows.

"I used to listen to that a lot and that 'Mr. Jones' song, every time I hear it now it brings back a lot of really good memories because I made the third round and ended up playing Pete Sampras for the first time."

While Jodie Burrage likes country music.

Burrage is one of Great Britain's rising tennis stars.

When it comes to music, however, her taste is more American.

"I like my country music," she told Insider. "I could listen to that all day and if I was to listen to anything before a match, it would be that.

"Slow, country-pop type stuff, I know it's not your traditional getting pumped for a match sort of music, it's a bit of a weird one, but for some reason, I just enjoy it, and it makes me feel chilled, which is what I want before a match because I can get quite nervous."

 

Asked if there was any specific artists she liked, Burrage said: "I love Luke Combs. I love him."

 

 

Rafael Nadal loves himself some flamenco.

Rafael Nadal loves himself some flamenco.
Rafael Nadal.      Getty/John Berry

Though Nadal has never spoken about what music gets him pumped up, the former world No. 1 Mats Wilander said he once overheard the Spaniard listening to flamenco music before a match.

"I was next to him in the locker rooms at Roland Garros, maybe 10 years ago, and I was hearing music," Wilander said earlier this year, according to Essentially Sports.

"I was getting ready to play a legends doubles. I was hearing this music, and I was like, 'Oh it's Rafa,' and I would love to know what kind of music he was listening to.'

"Eventually I heard it and it was some sort of Spanish romantic flamenco music, and I just melted. He's getting excited, the music was as relaxing as anything."

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