Getting their kit off!

Sports stars including Venus Williams and Travis Pastrana strip for ESPN's infamous annual body issue

For the sixth time in as many years, world-class athletes will grace the pages of ESPN Magazine in the buff for the publications sixth annual ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue.

Past installments of the magazine's annual Body Issue have included some of the biggest names in sports posing nude, including NBA stars Blake Griffith and Dwight Howard,  and tennis star Serena Williams.

This year's issue will not disappoint - and Williams' sister makes her debut appearance in the highly anticipated special issue.



 

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Serge: ESPN the Magazine's annual Body Issue - with naked NBA star Serge Ibaka on the cover - hits newsstands July 11

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Body Issue: Venus Williams is following in her sister's footsteps and posing nude for ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue

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Brrrr: U.S. bobsled brake woman Aja Evans ditched her Team USA unitard to pose nude behind her sled

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Surf's up: Hawaiian-born professional surfer Coco Ho traded her wet suit for her birthday suit for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue

This year's issue features 22 athletes posing in their birthday suits, including five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka.

'We somehow manage to raise the bar each year,' ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com editor in chief Chad Millman said in an article announcing this year's issue.

'This year's collection of exceptional athletes and stunning photography showcases an array of sports and body types. It inhabits our mission to pay tribute to these athletes' bodies and all they are capable of,' he continued.

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BMX: Nigel Sylvester, a rising star in the BMX world, opted to wear shoes for his photo shoot - and nothing else

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Tennis anyone? Czechoslovakian tennis star Tomas Berdych ditches his shorts to pose for the risque issue

Also featured in this year's issue are Olympic gold-medal-winning snowboarder Jamie Anderson, tennis player Tomas Berdych, Olympic bronze-medal-winning bobsledder Aja Evans, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and U.S. World Cup soccer player Omar Gonzalez, who also plays on the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Professional surfer Coco Ho, boxer Bernard Hopkins (the oldest title winner in the sport's history), cliff diver Ginger Huber, Olympic hockey player Hilary Knight, WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry and the husband-wife team of X Games stars Travis Pastrana and Lyn-Z.

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Baller: U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer star Megan Rapinoe even took off her gold medal for the magazine

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Muddin': X-Games motor sports legend Travis Pastrana and his skateboarder wife Lyn-Z Pastrana get a little muddy during their photoshoot

The often-controversial issue previously included beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh, who posed for the magazine while 8 months pregnant, and PGA great Gary Player, who disrobed for the publication at age 77.

The Body Issue is set to hit newsstands on July 11.