Ajla Tomljanovic gets Wimbledon boost with weighted training apparel

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Ajla Tomljanovic is back into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the second year in a row, and this time she’s got a “secret weapon” that’s helped her get there.

The Aussie has been posting up a storm in Instagram throughout her memorable fortnight at the All England Club, and eagle-eyed fans have spotted a trend in her practice-court pictures. All year long, Tomljanovic has been sporting eye-catching items from the Gravity Sportswear line, a weighted training apparel collection by activewear start-up Omorpho.

“It’s basically weighted apparel for training,” Tomljanovic told Australian Open TV this year. “You basically do your usual workout, but you get much more out of it. And there’s science behind it.

“I didn’t know how it would go, because I haven’t used it up until this off-season. But I really feel like, fitness-wise, it helped me a lot.”

Founded by former Nike VP Stefan Olander, Omorpho training apparel gets its distinctive look as a result of small, weighted beads that are used to create resistance in a garment, allowing athletes to build strength and overall fitness. For example, about a one-pound “micro load” of weight is distributed throughout the torso on Tomljanovic’s crop top, pictured above.

The company claims training in Omorpho sportswear can “increase vertical leaps by nine percent, speed by three percent, power by eight percent and reduce calories by eight percent”—citing studies by the Australian Journal of Strength and Conditioning, the European Journal of Sports Science and the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching to back it up.

Having outlasted opponents in back-to-back three set comebacks at Wimbledon, Tomljanovic too can attest to the weighted garments' benefits. The 29-year-old looked fresh as a daisy as she rallied against No. 13 seed Barbora Krejcikova, and then took down giant-slayer Alize Cornet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals—where Elena Rybakina awaits.

“You always look for ways to improve. It’s about the one-percenters here, at this stage,” Tomljanovic added. “I think it was kind of my secret weapon this off-season…

“It won’t be such a secret weapon [now], but at least I started it.”