After undergoing eight surgeries following the horrific crash at the Milan-Cortina Olympics that left her with a broken leg, Lindsey Vonn has been taking her recovery one step at a time. The skiing legend previously revealed that she was not rushing back to competitive skiing, but her latest outing has left fans wondering whether she could be turning her attention to other sports after spending more than three hours playing tennis with some of the sports biggest legends.
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On August 28, Vonn was among the stars taking part in the International Tennis Hall of Fame Celebrity Pro Classic in Newport, Rhode Island, during the Hall of Fame weekend celebrating Roger Federer’s induction. The event brought together several legendary names from tennis, and Vonn was seen getting involved on the grass court rather than simply watching from the sidelines.
Two days later, on August 30, Vonn shared footage from the outing on Instagram, giving fans a closer look at her time on the court. The video showed the Olympic skiing champion actively playing tennis against the legends. Her post immediately caught the attention of fans, particularly because of everything she has been through since her Olympic crash. “I wasn’t sure if you had that repaired yet? 👏👏,” one fan commented, while another wrote, “Take care.”
Vonn, however, had a simple explanation for why she was willing to spend so much time on the court. “Hey, I listened to my Dr!!” she wrote in the caption, before explaining that being surrounded by tennis legends made it difficult for her to step away. “I mean… when you have Jimmy Connors, Kim Clijsters, Stan Smith, Tommy Haas, Sam Querrey and a ton of other legends giving you tips and playing with them… I couldn’t stop!”
The video itself made the situation even more amusing. Vonn also displayed the message in the video, “My Dr. As long as your leg doesn’t hurt you can play.” She then followed it with another caption: “Me 3 hours later.” The sight is particularly striking when compared with where she was only months ago.
Following her February 8 crash at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, even basic movements became a challenge for the former Olympic champion. About a month after the crash, Vonn was still relying on a wheelchair. On March 13, she shared a video showing herself standing up from the chair and putting some weight on her heavily bandaged leg. She had also started using a stationary bike as part of her rehabilitation, initially managing only five minutes.
Later that month, another major milestone arrived when Vonn showed fans that she was taking her first steps again. She captioned the update, “One step at a time!” The progress continued through the spring. By late April, Vonn had moved beyond the wheelchair and was using crutches as she worked toward walking short distances without assistance. But her recovery was far from finished.
Vonn later revealed that it had taken around three and a half months before she could walk without assistance. Even in July, five months after the Olympic crash, she said walking remained difficult and revealed that her ankle was still broken. At the same time, she continued working to rebuild her strength. By the summer, Vonn was back in the gym, cycling and taking part in other physical activities.
For now, her three-hour tennis session appears to be another sign that Vonn is becoming more active as her recovery progresses.