Tennis star Katie Boulter has plenty to smile about.
Not only is she the current British No.1 in singles, but fiancé and fellow tennis star Alex de Minaur is also shining, both on and off the court.
GettyThe current world No.8 has been put himself through a brutal body transformation which appears to be paying off[/caption]
The Australian has been going through a body transformation in hope of improving his performance and it’s fair to say that his commitment is paying off.
De Minaur is now sporting a ripped physique which was clearly visible as recently as last month’s Australian Open.
Fans were quick to flock to social media to comment on the star’s impressive new look.
The 25-year-old has shown clear signs of an increase in muscle mass – an aspect of his frame that he had vowed to change.
Last year, he revealed that he had added around seven kilograms of muscle to his body over the past three years.
He recently said: “Each year is different. You look at the year as a whole. What you want to work on, what you want to improve.
“This year we are trying to bulk up, put on a little more muscle to get more strength and more speed on my serve and groundstrokes, all these things. It is all combined. I don’t diversify my training in any way. I do everything every day.
“At the start of pre-season, (I was spending) 2.5 to three hours in the gym, then two hours on the court afterwards. Essentially, depending on the day, you might double up on some sessions.
“Normally, in week one or week two, you do a lot more training and essentially get to the point where you don’t want to wake up in the morning, because you don’t want to deal with what is ahead of you.”
His new-found strength has had a positive impact on his serve and the stats are there to prove it.
GettyHis recent look is testament to the work he has put in off the court[/caption]
At the 2018 Australian Open his average serve speed came in at 167kph on his first serve and 147kmph on his second.
Whereas, at the recent United Cup, he served at an average of 204kph on his first serve and 167kph on his second.
“Physically, I’ve gained a lot of muscle, a lot of strength,” he told reporters at last year’s French Open. “My groundstrokes are not probably best suited for clay, I don’t play with too many revolutions on the ball, that’s where the strength comes in.
“It allows me to maintain a pretty strong average rally ball that helps me hurt my opponents and not get pushed around. I think in the past, when I was a little bit lighter, I definitely felt like the bigger, stronger guys could really push me around and bully me around the court.”
Off the court, De Minaur and Boulter have been in a relationship for close to five years.
The pair announced their engagement in an Instagram post in December alongside the caption: “We’ve been keeping a small secret.”
katiecboulterThe pair announced their engagement in December[/caption]
De Minaur recently admitted that while getting to grips with the demands of being a top sportsman has posed its challenges, Boulter has helped him relax away from the court.
“It definitely does help the weeks that I’m with Katie. It makes it a lot easier to be so far away from home. They are long stints,” he told the ATP.
“I mean, a lot of time on the road. For me, it’s quite important to try to do stuff wherever we are.”
Asked what the pair get up to in their free time, the world No. 8 added: “It is important to try and go out for dinners, go out for coffees, try to make life as normal as you can. And enjoy the time with the people you have.
“Whether it’s friends, whether it’s players, your own team. For me, that’s the best way to make time go quicker in these long stints.
“Because ultimately there’s the tennis side of things, it’s always going to be intense and stressful and a lot of focus needed for that, but as soon as you step off the court, try to immerse yourself in the different cities, the different activities, restaurants, coffees, and just live as much of a normal life as you can.”