"Jannik Sinner really reminds me of Roger Federer; he's just a great athlete and I'm not surprised that he won Australian Open" - Lindsey Vonn

Alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn has lavished praise on Jannik Sinner, drawing a parallel between him and tennis legend Roger Federer.

Sinner recently won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, staging a remarkable comeback to overcome a two-set deficit and claim a 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final. With the win, the Italian became the youngest man to triumph at the Melbourne Slam since Novak Djokovic in 2008.

Vonn, who had expressed her support for Sinner ahead of the title clash, congratulated the Italian on his triumph and humorously lauded him as the 'best skier' to win a Major title, given his background in competitive skiing.

Vonn shared an insight into her connection with Sinner in a recent interview, disclosing that they bonded over their mutual love for skiing. She described the tennis star as a humble and kind person, shedding light on his "shy" nature. The American also shared her appreciation for the 22-year-old's perspective on tennis, attributing it to his skiing background.

"I always thought it was really special that he [Jannik Sinner] was a former ski racer and that's obviously where we connected. 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," she told ATPTour.com.

Vonn expressed her lack of surprise at his Australian Open win, disclosing that she had expected him to win a Grand Slam title even sooner. The former Olympic gold medalist then compared the Italian to Roger Federer, stating that he reminded her of the Swiss legend.

"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," she added.

"Jannik Sinner is only going to get better, I'm excited to watch him continue to succeed in his career" - Lindsey Vonn

Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Australian Open

Lindsey Vonn further elaborated on Jannik Sinner's unique perspective on tennis, highlighting his ability to face crucial moments in a match with remarkable "fearlessness."

"If he's [Jannik Sinner] 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," she said in the same interview.

"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," Vonn added.

The American stated that she had observed an increase in the World No. 4's confidence level and an improvement in his physical strength. She expressed confidence that he would continue to improve over time and conveyed her anticipation for witnessing his success.

"In just the few years that I've known him, I definitely see his confidence level growing. He's talked about it publicly, but [he is] just getting stronger physically," she said.

He's a really tall, lanky man and he's definitely trying to fill that out and get stronger. But he's just maturing, he's growing and he's only going to get better. I'm excited to watch him continue to succeed in his career," Vonn added.

Jannik Sinner will be back in action at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, which is scheduled to commence on February 12. The Italian was the runner-up at the ATP 500 event last year, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final.