Lindsey Vonn has already endured eight grueling surgeries since her catastrophic crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The legendary skier recently displayed massive physical progress by playing tennis for more than three hours alongside professional legends at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Celebrity Pro Classic. This highly encouraging athletic display precedes yet another daunting medical hurdle on her ongoing rehabilitation schedule.

TNT Sports recently caught up with the Olympic champion at the US Open on August 31 to discuss her ongoing recovery. Vonn openly acknowledged the upcoming medical challenges while maintaining an incredibly positive outlook on her current physical trajectory.

“I feel good, I’m getting better,” Vonn said. “I still have another surgery, so I’m trying to get as strong as possible.” The skiing icon then outlined the massive postoperative timeline required for this specific procedure.

“Once I get my ACL, then I’ll have another long road ahead of me, but, for now, I feel great, and I’m very thankful for that,” Vonn explained. She originally ruptured that exact ligament during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana on January 30, 2026. She bravely chose to compete in the highly anticipated Winter Games despite that severe structural damage.

Vonn then admitted that the next operation will be followed by another lengthy recovery period.

“Once I get my ACL, then I’ll have another long road ahead of me, but, for now, I feel great, and I’m very thankful for that,” Vonn explained. She originally ruptured that exact ligament during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana on January 30, 2026. She bravely chose to compete in the highly anticipated Winter Games despite that severe structural damage.

The Olympic veteran crashed just 13 seconds into her downhill run on February 8, suffering a complex left tibia fracture that required multiple stabilizing surgeries. She currently plans to undergo the definitive ACL reconstruction procedure sometime this upcoming winter.

“I’m hoping that I can have the next surgery in November, but it’ll be in the winter sometime, and then it’ll be another nine months until I’m fully recovered from that, so I can’t really look beyond that,” Vonn stated.

This massive recovery timeline raises major questions regarding her ultimate athletic future.

Lindsey Vonn leaves door open for one more skiing comeback

After retiring in 2019, Vonn spent nearly six years away from competitive skiing. A partial knee replacement in 2024 changed everything. For the first time in years, she was able to ski without the pain that had contributed to her decision to retire. By November that year, she announced that she was coming out of retirement and would attempt to return to the U.S. ski team.

Her comeback was now much larger than just getting back on the slopes. Vonn targeted the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, and was aiming to take a shot at playing at a fifth Game of the Games. 

That she did, and became the oldest female to compete in Olympic alpine skiing. However, her Olympic comeback was to heartbreak. Despite the crushing accident, Vonn was not yet done with skiing. She repeatedly said she needed to take time in the months that followed to make a decision about what might be next.

In April 2026, Vonn provided perhaps a clearer sign of a possible retirement when she told the Associated Press, “I may retire. I may never race again and that would be completely fine.” At the same time, she admitted that she was not emotionally ready to make that decision. That leaves the door open to another comeback.

Vonn has not ruled out returning to competitive skiing, and a sixth Olympic appearance at the 2030 Winter Games has remained a possibility. However, she has not committed to racing again or said that she is targeting the 2030 Olympics. For now, everything depends on her recovery.