Jannik Sinner has been a force to reckon with. Since last year, the Italian rose to World No. 1 and has held that spot for 53 consecutive weeks! How? He won eight titles in 2024, including two Grand Slams at Melbourne and the US Open. This year, he successfully defended his Australian Open crown. But there’s one hurdle he hasn’t cleared yet: Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard ended his perfect record in Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros. Still, many believe the 23-year-old will bounce back.

On Sunday, Jannik fought hard in the first two sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier. But his rival, who had beaten him four times in a row before, stepped up to take three sets. Sinner looked set to win his first French Open when Alcaraz served at 0-40, down 3-5 in the fourth. Yet, the defending champ held strong and forced a decider via a tiebreak. After five hours and 29 minutes, Carlos took the title 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2).

The next day, Sinner posted on social media: “Au revoir, Paris 🇫🇷 Congrats to @carlosalcaraz and the team. I gave all I had, didn’t pay off this time 💔 Until next year.” And while many sent him warm wishes of better luck next time, American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn’s reply stood out! She wrote on X, “But it will pay off soon!!!” A sweet show of support.

Fun fact: Sinner was a competitive junior alpine skier before focusing on tennis. Vonn, one of the most decorated alpine ski racers ever, shares that passion. They even skied together in 2022 on Sinner’s home mountain and played tennis atop a museum. “It was pretty cool,” Vonn said.

Previously, she shared her thoughts on the intense French Open semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Watching her friends battle for a spot in the Grand Slam final was both thrilling and tough for her. “This is intense… When your friends compete, it is a win-win and lose-lose situation for me,” she wrote, capturing the bittersweet feeling perfectly.

Since retiring, Vonn has been busy training for the 2026 Winter Olympics after securing her first World Cup podium finish at the finals. Amid her rigorous schedule, she still finds time to follow tennis closely, cheering on players and sharing updates with her fans. Her close ties to tennis make moments like the Djokovic-Sinner clash especially meaningful. Not to mention, this isn’t the first time she’s praised the young Italian.

Lindsey compares Jannik Sinner’s prowess to a tennis legend

In February last year, Lindsey Vonn told ATPTour.com, “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.” That’s some serious praise coming from a decorated athlete and Federer’s friend.

Vonn also admires how Sinner handles pressure, a topic they’ve discussed personally. She described his skiing style: “He’s really tall, so the taller you are, I think the more difficult it is to ski. But I think it’s similar to his tennis. He’s very fluid and elegant and he’s able to carve and make really nice turns and it seems really effortless for him.” She added, “I was actually pretty nervous skiing with him because I didn’t want to be the reason that something happened and he got hurt. But after skiing with him, it’s clear that that’s not going to happen. He’s very skilled and he’s a really elegant skier.”

Last year at 22, Vonn noted Sinner is “very mature for his age,” and she’s not alone in thinking so. Now, as Jannik heads into the grass court season, fans wonder if he’ll channel Roger Federer’s magic to claim glory at the next Grand Slam. His grass court record stands strong with 21 wins and 9 losses—a 70% winning rate.

In 2023, Jannik Sinner reached the Wimbledon semifinals, falling to Novak Djokovic in a tough four-set battle. Then in 2024, he claimed his first grass-court title at the Halle Open. He followed that with a solid Wimbledon run, reaching the quarterfinals before a five-set loss to Daniil Medvedev. What do you think his grass-court future holds? Share your thoughts below!