Federica Brignone has got a new admirer in tennis champ Jannik Sinner. The two-time defending champion of the Australian Open recently expressed his views on Brignone’s return to alpine skiing after a prolonged absence.
Brignone had won the FIS World Cup for the 2024-25 season. The 35-year-old had won back the title after a five-year absence, having previously won it in 2020.
Jannik Sinner Admires Federica Brignone for Brilliant Comeback
Sinner recently attended an interview with the Eurosport channel, where he admired the tenacity of his Italian counterpart in Alpine skiing. The tennis champion mentioned in the interview,
“Federica did something that very few athletes can do. Some athletes clearly have something extra, and Federica is one of them. I wish her all the best for the Olympics.”
For the uninitiated, Brignone participated in the FIS World Cup meet held in Kronplatz on January 20, 2026, where she finished in sixth position in the giant slalom event. This was her first race since the crash she suffered in April last year.
Brignone returned to the skiing circuit months after a serious crash in April 2025, which left her with multiple fractures and a ligament tear in the left leg.
Brignone’s Overall Track Record As Skier
Brignone has been active in the alpine skiing circuit since 2007, when she made her World Cup debut. It didn’t take her long to make her Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. However, the Italian skier didn’t leave a solid impression and finished in the 18th position in the giant slalom event.
READ MORE: Champion Skier Federica Brignone Explains Her Day-by-Day Approach as She Prepares to Return
Brignone then made the world take notice of her skills in the 2011 World Championships, where she clinched a silver medal in the giant slalom event. However, Brignone struggled to maintain her form, and it wasn’t until 2018 that she finally found success at the Winter Olympics held in PyeongChang, South Korea. Brignone clinched the bronze medal in the giant slalom event.
Although Brignone had been participating in the FIS World Cup since 2007, it was only in 2020 that she first won the overall title. Brignone maintained the consistency when she won another title in the 2022 season. In the same year, the Italian skier improved her performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Not only did the alpine skier upgrade her giant slalom medal to silver, but she also clinched a bronze medal in the women’s combined event.
Brignone also improved her performance at the World Championships. The Italian skier won back-to-back four medals in the 2023 World Championships and the 2025 World Championships [including two gold medals], respectively.
