Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Princess Leonor’s Favorite Sport
- Skiing and Her Connection With Winter Sports
- Tennis and Other Racquet Sports
- Volleyball and Team Sports
- Horse Riding and Outdoor Activities
- How Military Training Changed Her Sporting Life
- Princess Leonor’s Sports Interests in 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- References
INTRODUCTION
Princess Leonor’s favourite sport has attracted interest as the heir to the Spanish Crown has grown from a young royal into a young adult with an increasingly demanding public role. Leonor has been associated with several sports since childhood, including skiing, tennis, volleyball, horse riding, swimming, basketball, and badminton. Spanish reporting has particularly highlighted skiing and ballet, while tennis and team sports have also been part of her activities.
Because Leonor’s private life is carefully protected, there is no official royal statement naming one sport as her definitive favourite in 2026. However, reports about her childhood and teenage years provide a useful picture of the activities she has enjoyed.
Sport has also become an important part of Leonor’s formal preparation. Between 2023 and 2026, she completed demanding military training across Spain’s Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force. That training involved physical conditioning, field exercises, aviation, and parachuting, giving her a very different kind of athletic experience.
Today, her sporting life is therefore a mixture of personal interests, physical fitness, and military preparation.
Princess Leonor’s Favorite Sport
If one sport stands out most clearly from reports about Princess Leonor’s childhood, skiing is a strong candidate.
Spanish publication ¡HOLA! reported that Leonor shared her father’s passion for skiing and that the sport was among the activities she enjoyed with her family. The same profile described her as participating in several other sports, including tennis, horse riding, volleyball, swimming, and badminton.
However, it would be inaccurate to state that skiing is officially confirmed as her single favourite sport.
There are several sports associated with Leonor:
- Skiing
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Horse riding
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Badminton
Her sporting interests have also changed as she has grown older.
Why skiing stands out
Skiing appears particularly significant because it has been connected with family recreation. Leonor and her sister, Infanta SofÃa, have been reported as enjoying sports together, while King Felipe VI has also been described as a keen skier. Skiing combines physical fitness with outdoor adventure, making it quite different from the formal activities normally associated with royal life.
It requires:
- Balance
- Coordination
- Concentration
- Physical strength
- Confidence
- Quick reactions
These qualities are also useful in many other physical activities.
Skiing and Her Connection With Winter Sports
Skiing has been one of the most frequently reported sports associated with Princess Leonor. Her interest in the sport goes back to her childhood, when she and Infanta SofÃa were reported to participate in skiing during the winter season. Their family has also visited Spanish ski resorts. The sport has a particularly strong family connection because King Felipe VI is also known for his interest in skiing.
Skiing as a family activity
For Leonor, skiing appears to have been more than an individual sporting activity. It has been part of family leisure time, giving the young princess an opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation away from formal royal engagements. Winter sports can also provide a valuable break from a highly structured schedule. Instead of military uniforms, official ceremonies, and public speeches, skiing offers a much more informal environment.
What makes skiing demanding?
Although skiing can be recreational, it also requires considerable physical ability. A skier needs to maintain control while moving across changing terrain and conditions.
Important skills include:
- Maintaining balance
- Controlling speed
- Turning efficiently
- Reading the terrain
- Maintaining physical endurance
- Reacting quickly
For a young person who participates in several different sports, skiing can also help develop general coordination and confidence.
Is skiing still her favourite sport in 2026?
There is no reliable official confirmation that skiing remains Leonor’s number-one sport in 2026. Much of the information about her sporting preferences comes from reports about her childhood and teenage years. Her schedule has changed considerably since then. She spent three years in military education from 2023 to 2026, which naturally reduced the amount of time available for recreational sports. Therefore, skiing is best described as one of her best-documented sporting interests, rather than an officially confirmed 2026 favourite.
Tennis and Other Racquet Sports
Tennis is another sport that has been associated with Princess Leonor since childhood. Spanish media have reported that Leonor and her sister played tennis as part of their sporting activities. Tennis is particularly useful as a recreational sport because it combines cardiovascular exercise with coordination and concentration.
Why tennis suits Leonor
Tennis requires players to make quick decisions while maintaining physical control.
The sport develops:
- Hand-eye coordination
- Agility
- Footwork
- Concentration
- Endurance
- Reaction speed
These skills can complement other physical activities. Leonor’s reported interest in tennis also fits with the broader sporting culture of the Spanish Royal Family, where physical activity has been encouraged from childhood.
Badminton
Badminton has also been reported as one of Leonor’s sporting interests. According to ¡HOLA!, Olympic badminton champion Carolina MarÃn once highlighted badminton as an activity associated with Leonor’s family. Badminton is a fast-paced sport that requires rapid movement and excellent reaction time. It is also easy to play recreationally, making it suitable for school and family environments.
Tennis versus badminton
Both sports require hand-eye coordination, but they place different demands on the player.
| Sport | Main Skills |
|---|---|
| Tennis | Endurance, power, footwork |
| Badminton | Speed, reaction, agility |
| Skiing | Balance, control, coordination |
| Volleyball | Teamwork, jumping, reaction |
Leonor’s reported participation in several of these sports suggests that her interests have never been limited to a single type of athletic activity.
Volleyball and Team Sports
Volleyball is another important part of Princess Leonor’s sporting history. Unlike skiing and tennis, volleyball is a team sport, which means players must constantly communicate and coordinate with one another. Leonor reportedly participated in volleyball during her school years.
Her military education later provided another opportunity to experience competitive team sports. According to biographical information about her military training, she competed in the 24th Sports Championship of Military Academies for Officers in 2024, participating in volleyball and fencing. Her team won a silver medal in the mixed team fencing competition. (Wikipedia) This is an interesting detail because it shows that Leonor’s connection with sport did not disappear when she entered military training.
Why volleyball is important
Volleyball develops several qualities that can be valuable beyond sport:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Timing
- Agility
- Coordination
- Decision-making
- Leadership
These qualities also overlap with the broader leadership training Leonor has received as heir to the Crown.
A competitive experience
Participating in a military academy sports championship is different from recreational school sports. Leonor was competing alongside fellow military students, which added another dimension to her physical training. Her participation demonstrated that sport could remain part of her routine even while she was adapting to the demands of military life.
Basketball
Basketball has also been reported among the sports Leonor and her sister played during childhood. Although there is limited public information about how frequently she currently plays basketball, its inclusion in reports about her younger years shows the breadth of her sporting interests. Basketball combines running, jumping, coordination, and teamwork, making it another physically demanding activity.
Horse Riding and Outdoor Activities
Horse riding is another sport associated with Princess Leonor. Spanish reports about her childhood have included equestrian activities among the sports she practised. Horse riding is different from most of the other sports associated with Leonor because it requires coordination between the rider and the animal.
Skills developed through horse riding
Riding can help develop:
- Balance
- Core strength
- Coordination
- Patience
- Confidence
- Animal awareness
- Concentration
It is also an outdoor activity, which can provide a change from academic and institutional environments.
Swimming
Swimming has also appeared among reports about Leonor’s childhood sporting activities. Swimming is particularly useful as a general fitness activity because it works multiple muscle groups while developing cardiovascular endurance. Like skiing and cycling, it is also a sport that can be practised recreationally rather than only competitively.
Outdoor activities and royal life
Outdoor sports can have an important role in maintaining balance in a busy schedule.
Leonor’s life now involves:
- University education
- Military commitments
- Official ceremonies
- Public speeches
- Travel
- Institutional events
Physical activities provide an opportunity to step away from those responsibilities. Her earlier sporting interests therefore offer an interesting look at the more private side of her life.
How Military Training Changed Her Sporting Life
Princess Leonor’s relationship with sport changed significantly when she began military training in 2023. Her three-year military education exposed her to a much more demanding level of physical activity than recreational school sports. She trained first at the Academia General Militar in Zaragoza, then at the Escuela Naval Militar in MarÃn, and finally at the Academia General del Aire y del Espacio in San Javier. The Spanish Royal Household confirms that Leonor’s military education was designed around her position as heir to the Crown and included training across Spain’s three armed services.
Military fitness
Military training requires physical conditioning as part of everyday preparation.
Leonor’s experience included activities connected with:
- Physical endurance
- Strength
- Military drills
- Field exercises
- Aviation
- Parachuting
- Naval training
- Teamwork
This is very different from playing tennis or skiing for recreation.
Parachuting
One of the most demanding physical milestones in Leonor’s military education was her completion of basic parachuting training in 2026. This experience required courage, preparation, concentration, and physical control. It also demonstrates how far her physical training has developed since childhood.
Aviation
Leonor also completed aviation training during her final year at the Academia General del Aire y del Espacio. Her military preparation, therefore, combined traditional physical fitness with highly specialized activities. This has created an unusual sporting and military profile for a future queen. For readers interested in this part of her life, Princess Leonor Military Rank: Her Army, Navy and Air Force Career explains her military training and future officer ranks in greater detail.
Princess Leonor’s Sports Interests in 2026
By 2026, Princess Leonor’s life is very different from the childhood years when many of her hobbies were first reported. She has completed her three-year military education and is entering a new academic stage while taking on more responsibilities as heir to the Spanish Crown. The official Royal Household biography identifies Leonor as the heir to the Crown and records her continuing official activities in 2026.
What can we say confidently?
There is no official list of Leonor’s current favourite sports. Therefore, it is better to separate documented past interests from confirmed current activities.
Her well-documented sporting interests include:
- Skiing
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Horse riding
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Badminton
Of these, skiing has particularly strong reporting as a favourite family sport, while volleyball became relevant during her military academy years.
Sport remains important even with royal duties
Leonor’s public schedule means she has less freedom than an ordinary young adult. However, her military education demonstrates that physical fitness remains an important part of her preparation. This is especially relevant because the Spanish monarch has a constitutional connection with the Armed Forces. Her physical preparation is therefore not simply about personal fitness. It also forms part of the broader discipline expected from the heir to the Spanish Crown.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Princess Leonor’s favourite sport?
There is no officially confirmed single favourite sport. However, skiing has been repeatedly highlighted as one of Leonor’s favourite sporting interests, particularly during her childhood. Tennis, volleyball, horse riding, swimming, basketball, and badminton have also been reported.
2. Does Princess Leonor like skiing?
Yes. Spanish royal coverage has repeatedly associated Leonor with skiing and reported that she shared an interest in the sport with her father, King Felipe VI.
3. Does Princess Leonor play tennis?
Yes. Tennis has been reported as one of the sports Leonor practised with her sister, Infanta SofÃa, during their childhood.
4. Did Princess Leonor play volleyball?
Yes. Volleyball was among the sports associated with Leonor during her younger years. She also participated in volleyball during her military academy experience.
5. What sports did Princess Leonor practise as a child?
Reports have associated her with skiing, tennis, volleyball, horse riding, swimming, basketball, and badminton. Ballet and other physical activities were also part of her childhood interests.
Conclusion
Princess Leonor’s favourite sport is not officially identified by the Spanish Royal Household, so it would be too strong to claim that one activity is definitively her number-one choice in 2026. However, skiing stands out in reports about her childhood and family life. Tennis, volleyball, horse riding, swimming, basketball, and badminton have also been part of her sporting background.
Volleyball is particularly interesting because Leonor continued participating in sport after entering military education. Her involvement in the 2024 Military Academies Sports Championship shows that competitive physical activity remained part of her life during her training. Her military education subsequently introduced her to a much more demanding form of physical preparation. Aviation, parachuting, field exercises, and military fitness have added new dimensions to her athletic experience.
Today, Leonor’s sporting life is closely connected with her wider responsibilities. As the heir to the Spanish Crown, she has to balance education, public appearances, military preparation, and official duties. Her sporting interests therefore provide an interesting glimpse beyond her royal title. Whether she is skiing with family, playing tennis or volleyball, or completing demanding military exercises, physical activity has remained an important part of her development.
References
- Casa de S.M. el Rey: Official biography and activities of Princess Leonor. (Casa Real)
- ¡HOLA!: Reporting on Princess Leonor’s childhood sports and hobbies. (¡HOLA!)
- Fundación Princesa de Asturias: Official profile of Princess Leonor. (fpa.es)
- Wikipedia: Overview of Leonor’s military academy sports participation and training history. (Wikipedia)
