“Sinner reminds me of Federer” – champion skier Lindsey Vonn

The celebrated skier spoke about two tennis stars she knows well

February 2, 2024

Champion skier Lindsey Vonn says new Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner reminds her of Roger Federer.

Vonn knows Sinner because of his background in competitive skiing – and the Italian shared on social media some images of them skiing together back in 2022.

“I always thought it was really special that he was a former ski racer and that’s obviously where we connected,” Vonn told the ATP’s official website. “He’s a pretty shy guy, but he’s really humble and always super kind. I think he has just a great perspective on the sport and I think to a degree, some of that comes from skiing. We’ve talked about it quite a few times.

“He’s just a great athlete, very smart and I’m not surprised that he won Australia. I thought he would win before he did, but he’s someone that’s going to be around for a long time. And he really reminds me of Roger, to be honest.”

Vonn is a big tennis fan and has spoken before about being a fan of Pete Sampras, and then Federer. In 2017 she said of the Swiss: “Roger’s style and just the way he plays is just so graceful, he makes it so fun to watch,” adding: “For me as an athlete, it’s inspiring to watch. And meeting him after watching him for so many years, and seeing how humble he is and how much of a philanthropist he is, those are the kinds of things that I want to carry out in my life and in my career as well.”

Vonn: Skiing taught Sinner to be fearless

Sinner opted for tennis instead of skiing as a career, and Vonn talked about how the two sports compare when it comes to pressure and nerves.

“If he’s under pressure, and he’s got to serve, he’s got match point or something, the perspective is that if he misses the point, nothing is going to happen.

“It’s not like in skiing, where if you don’t take the turn right, you crash, and you could potentially hurt yourself very badly.

“So it’s the kind of fearlessness that he puts everything out there no matter what the situation. And that perspective, I think, is really different from most people, most athletes, and I think he uses that to his advantage.”