Sounds sort of forced...like, they were given those words to use for the article. Why not say, Michelle Obama, who likes to play tennis occasionally...or something like that. But to call her "a tennis player,' although probably technically true, just makes it sound as though they were trying to make it seem like she has some great profession as a player, or plays all the time.
No one ever said: John Kennedy, a football player, etc. and JFK and his family certainly liked to play the game. Or, no one said, George Bush, a horse rider, etc.
It is just odd sounding to me and a strange way for a writer to connect Michelle to the game of tennis...which she has probably played only a couple of times.
Or Ted Kennedy, olympic swimming hopeful........