Tennis star Sabalenka says tequila makes her ‘feel great,’ but experts push back

A top tennis star said she “feels great” after drinking tequila, but health experts say to take that not with a squeeze of lime, but a grain of salt.

Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s No. 1-ranked women’s tennis player and reigning U.S. Open champion, recently told Air Mail magazine that tequila is “much better on the body.”

Sabalenka, a brand ambassador for Maestro Dobel, the official tequila sponsor of the U.S. Open, said she prefers reposado tequila, which is barrel-aged and known for its smooth, mellow flavor.

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“You just sip it as a whiskey or Cognac, but it has a better taste, and the next day you feel great,” the Belarusian player told the outlet.

Sabalenka has joined a growing list of athletes and celebrities – including Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, LeBron James and Michael Jordan – who have endorsed or launched tequila brands, helping reposition the spirit as a “cleaner,” wellness-friendly drink.

There might be something to the buzz, industry insiders say.

“We hear it constantly: Tequila makes people feel lighter, less weighed-down and more energized compared to other liquors,” Jon-Paul Fortunati, the Los Angeles-based CEO of Cazcanes Tequila, told Fox News Digital. 

“Additive-free, carefully distilled tequila will almost always deliver a cleaner experience than spirits that rely on sweeteners or shortcuts.”

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Younger drinkers are driving this shift, Fortunati said, choosing tequila because it feels “both celebratory and mindful.”

Brent Hocking, founder of Tequila Purisima, said tequila also stands out for the transparency of its ingredients. 

“Among spirits, tequila — especially additive-free tequila made from 100% Blue Weber agave — offers a level of clarity that’s increasingly rare,” he told Fox News Digital.

But not all bottles qualify. Many mass-market tequilas contain sweeteners, coloring agents or glycerin to mask shortcuts in production, Hocking warned.

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“There’s something to be said for ritual and moderation,” he said. “In traditional settings, tequila is sipped, not shot. It’s often shared slowly, with food and conversation. That pacing matters.”

Pure tequila made from 100% pure agave, sipped as Sabalenka does, may be better tolerated by the body, some experts say.

“It’s naturally lower in sugar and doesn’t contain additives, which might make it easier on your body compared to sugary cocktails or heavily processed liquors,” Lauren Manaker, a registered dietitian based in South Carolina, previously told Fox News Digital.

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But Manaker stressed that no booze is truly “hangover-proof” and all alcohol, regardless of type, is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer. 

The WHO and other global health bodies have said that no amount of alcohol is beneficial for health – and even light drinking carries risks.

Part of tequila’s reputation comes from its chemistry. Like vodka and rum, it’s a clear spirit with relatively fewer congeners – the chemical byproducts of fermentation and aging that can intensify hangovers – than darker liquors such as bourbon or brandy.

“Drink enough and a hangover will come no matter the purity.”

But ultimately, congeners aren’t the main culprit.

“Ethanol is ethanol,” Dr. Michael Genovese, chief medical advisor at Ascendant New York in New York City, told Fox News Digital. “Drink enough and a hangover will come no matter the purity.”

Genetics, biology, hydration levels and muscle mass all affect how a person reacts to alcohol, Genovese added. 

“This can explain why one person swears tequila gives them the cleanest buzz while another insists it wrecks them.”

Not everyone can expect to feel the same way Sabalenka does after a night out, he added. 

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“Her muscle mass dilutes alcohol’s effects, her hydration and recovery habits blunt hangover severity, and tequila itself – when it’s high quality – has fewer congeners, adding to the effect,” he said. 

Even high-quality alcohol still interferes with sleep, performance, muscle repair and hydration, Genovese said. It may also increase inflammation and stress hormones, which for athletes can mean slower recovery, reduced performance and a higher risk of injury.

“The bottom line is, tequila is not a health drink.”

Recent studies underscore that. A randomized trial published in the journal PLOS ONE found that drinking alcohol after strenuous exercise significantly reduced muscle protein synthesis — even when paired with protein intake — blunting the body’s ability to repair and build muscle.

Other research has linked post-exercise drinking to impaired recovery and, over time, greater risk of muscle loss.

“The bottom line is, tequila is not a health drink. It’s just a relatively cleaner alcohol option compared to some others,” Genovese said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Sabalenka’s team for additional comment.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed reporting.