Princess Kate is known for her ultra-sculpted physique, and with a passion for running, cycling and rowing it's no surprise the royal is so toned, but there's one hobby she loves that is likely responsible for her toned arms.
Each summer when the warmer weather rolls around, the Princess of Wales is known to hit the tennis courts, playing with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the ultra-exclusive Hurlingham Club in London – and it's this royally-loved racket sport that could be responsible for Princess Kate's sculpted biceps. Revisit the moment Princess Kate played tennis with Wimbledon champ Emma Radacanu below...
"Tennis players rely on their upper body strength for powerful serves and precise shots," says personal trainer Amanda Place, who founded healthy living up Sculptrition.
Hitting tennis balls with force will help strengthen Princess Kate's arms, while dashing about the court will boost her overall fitness, too.
© Getty"Tennis is a physically demanding sport that requires strength, agility, and endurance," confirms Amanda. "Training like a tennis player not only helps you build strength and endurance but also improves your overall athletic performance," she adds.
"[By playing tennis] you can experience benefits such as increased cardiovascular endurance, agility, lower body strength, core stability, upper body strength, agility, and reaction time," Amanda says.
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Tim Benjamin of audio fitness app WithU agrees on the benefits of tennis, explaining: "Tennis based-workouts are a great way of developing all-around fitness: cardio, speed, agility and balance.
Tim compares tennis to HIIT, due to the short, sharp, movements that are used to move around the tennis court. "They are a great way to improve cardio and lung capacity."
© GettyTennis is also great as it's a full-body workout. "Many people think that tennis simply relies on your arms and wrists. In reality, the movements and actions in tennis require your whole body. Even actions that seem simple at first, like hitting a ball, require your whole body to be in sync," Tim says.
Does all the royal family play tennis?
Princess Kate isn't the only tennis fan in the family. Her son, Prince George, has been taking lessons since he was four years old, while fellow royal lady, the Duchess of Edinburgh, is known to love real tennis.
© Photo: Getty ImagesShe and her husband Prince Edward even bonded over their love of the sport. It's a rather unique hobby in this day and age – only played by around 7,000 people in the world, making Sophie and Edward a match made in heaven, given they are among the few people worldwide who can play the archaic sport.
© Photo: Getty ImagesReal tennis is only played on 40 courts in the world, including one at Hampton Court Palace, which is where we suspect Sophie and Edward play! Other courts are often found at schools or in country manors.
Unlike normal tennis, real tennis is played indoors, with balls more akin to cricket balls. They're handmade and solid, while the rackets used are wooden.
SEE: Princess Kate is the sportiest royal - 17 photos to prove it
Just like normal tennis, players of real tennis need to be extremely fit, as there are no breaks during play.
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