"It was devastating when I gave it up" - When Derek Jeter's wife Hannah got brutally honest about choosing modeling over sports

Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is one of the most celebrated figures in baseball, especially in New York. The former Yankees captain was known for his competitive edge during his illustrious 20-year MLB career, a trait his wife Hannah Jeter shares with him.

While Hannah is known for his modeling career, the Hall of Famer's wife wasn't too bad with a racket in her hand. She started playing tennis at 8 and was a ranked junior player and a champion on the Caribbean Tennis Circuit.

But she later gave up her promising tennis career to pursue modeling. Hannah's modeling career reportedly started as she “started modeling to buy tennis rackets.”

Although she found great success as a model, Hannah shared the pain of giving up tennis in an interview with the Editorialist in 2024.

“It was devastating when I gave it up,” she said. “I don’t know how to play for fun, because I played to compete, to win. I hope one day I can get back into it. I think that would be sort of healing for me.”

After giving up tennis, Hannah Jeter found fame as a model, famously as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. She featured on the cover of the 2015 edition of the magazine. Victoria's Secret, American Eagle Outfitters, Tommy Hilfiger, and Levi's are some of the other globally renowned brands Hannah has modeled for.

Derek Jeter's wife Hannah reacted to tennis icon Serena Williams' post

Following Derek Jeter's retirement, the iconic Yankees captain was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. Despite calling time on his more than a decade ago in 2024, the five-time World Series winner has been a part of the sport as an analyst.

Meanwhile, Hannah seemingly hasn't lost her love for the racket as she recently reacted to tennis legend Serena Williams' beach vacation pictures on Instagram.

"My mini mini @adiraohanian wanted to take a dip in the ocean. I could not say no," Williams wrote in her caption.

Hannah Jeter commented on the post with 'fire' emojis.

Last month, Derek and Hannah, who share four children after their marriage in 2016, were seen at a paddle tournament Reserve Cup Miami. The former Yankees icon led Team Reserve with Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler as his co-captain.