Spanish legend Rafael Nadal has recently expressed his joy and gratitude after skiing for the first time in more than 2.5 decades. His rediscovery of skiing garnered a reaction from the legendary alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn, who had suffered a horrific crash during the women’s downhill at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and has undergone multiple surgeries.
Rafael Nadal Receives Skiing Invite From Lindsey Vonn
The former World No. 1 has returned to his action on slopes after attending the highly anticipated Australian Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and fellow legend Novak Djokovic, which the World No. 1 won, becoming the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam.
In a recent Instagram post, the winner of 92 ATP Tour singles titles, including 22 major titles, revealed that he had gone skiing after a 26-year gap and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Furthermore, he shared his appreciation for Moncler, the Italian luxury fashion brand, adding, “🎿⛷️😃 After 26 years… what an incredible feeling to ski again! Thank you, @moncler & @gfisan, for making it even more special! 🚠.”
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To which Vonn enthusiastically replied, promising Nadal a day of fun on the slopes once she is fit to return, “We have to ski together when I’m healthy!”
The skier who has clinched three Olympic medals, eight World Championship medals, and three World Junior Championship medals notably made her fifth Olympic appearance at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. However, a week before, Vonn suffered a left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a bone bruise, and had meniscal tears; despite that, she competed in the Olympics.
During her downhill race, she crashed, ending her Olympics with a harrowing result. She underwent surgeries after that and shared an update after her latest surgery, which lasted for more than six hours.
She added, “Just a quick update… my last surgery went well. It took a little over 6 hours. I have been recovering from the surgery but pain has been hard to manage. Making slow progress but I hope I can be out of the hospital soon. Thank you all for the support. 🙏🏻❤️.”
In 2022, Vonn also went skiing with World No. 2 Jannik Sinner at South Tyrol’s premier ski resort, Plan de Corones, where the latter had promised to take her. Sinner was Italy’s top junior skier, having won a national championship in 2008 and finishing as a national runner-up in 2012.
