Jannik Sinner draws Roger Federer comparisons from tennis super-fan Lindsey Vonn

Tennis' most talented skier has a friend in skiing's biggest tennis fan.

Former Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn heaped praise on Jannik Sinner this week, telling the ATP website that the Australian Open champion reminds of her another one of her superstar friends in the sport: Roger Federer.

“I always thought it was really special that he was a former ski racer and that's obviously where we connected,” Vonn said in an interview with the ATP's Andrew Eichenholz. “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."

Last month, Vonn said she was glued Sinner's Melbourne run, where he eventually completed a five-set comback against Daniil Medvedev in the final to become the first Italian man in 48 years to win a Grand Slam singles title. Ahead of the championship, Vonn posted on X that she was "so f***ing pumped" for Sinner to contest his first major final, and later, shouted out the 22-year-old on her Instagram in victory by joking that he is "without doubt the best skier to win a Grand Slam."

Sinner's youth exploits in both sports were well-documented even prior to his triumph Down Under, which earned him praise from everyone from his fellow tennis players to Pope Francis. But Vonn, a frequent famous face in the crowd at the US Open and a supporter of the USTA Foundation, hasn't just seen the grown-up Sinner hit forehands and backhands. She also skiied with him when Sinner welcomed her to his hometown two years ago, and now says that the skills he showed on the slopes are coming through on the court, too.

“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,” Vonn said. "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.”

“In just the few years that I've known him, I definitely see his confidence level growing," she continued. "I'm excited to watch him continue to succeed in his career.”