Worlds converged when the tennis legend Roger Federer finally hit the slopes of Switzerland with Lindsey Vonn. The 82-time World Cup winner and alpine skiing icon and the 20x Grand Slam winner have been friends for a long time. And yet, when the Swiss national let Vonn teach him the nooks and crannies of alpine skiing, fans could barely retain their excitement. But it might have more than just a jocund experience for the 40-year-old skier.

Vonn announced her retirement from the sport in 2019, after sealing her status as one of the greatest skiing stars of all time. But the ongoing 2024/25 season FIS Ski World Cup has made it difficult for her to keep things that way. Instead, fans might once again see Vonn in her natural habitat, and it seems like the tennis phenom had something to do with the decision.

Lindsey Vonn will make her return on home soil, at the “Birds of Prey” course in Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December. A press release by the US Ski & Snowboard has confirmed the news, as per an article by the Olympics.com from November 14. In the article, Vonn also has been quoted talking about how Federer inspired her to come out of her retirement after six years.

After a conversation with the grass court icon, Vonn felt she had more to give to the sport and wanted another crack at clinching glory as part of Team USA at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. “I pushed myself as hard as I could. But I feel like I have more juice in my lemon now,” Vonn said about what prompted her to decide to get back to skiing. She also recalled how Federer confided in her that he had “squeezed every drop out of the lemon,” he had. On the contrary, it looks like Vonn believes she still has something more left in herself.

“My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions,” Vonn told the New York Times as to why she wants in on the action once again. However, for fans who have kept tabs on Lindsey’s activities even while she was living a quaint life in Miami, the news might not be all too surprising.

Lindsey Vonn might have been preparing for her return in plain sight

In January this year, Vonn was spotted taking on one of the most difficult courses in the skiing world. While she never got the chance to race at the legendary Streif in Austria, she managed to compensate for it somewhat years after hanging up her skiing boots. Subsequently, she took to social media to express her elation at being able to do so.

“Never thought I’d get the chance to ski this legendary downhill track in my life,” Vonn wrote on Instagram. The fans who have dearly missed watching Lindsey dominate tricky courses with her signature grace speculated right then if she was planning to come out of her retirement, and it looks like all those brainstorming sessions weren’t unfounded.

Lindsey Vonn will be joining a stacked USA team, led by the 97-time World Cup winner Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin will look to bag a historic 100th World Cup victory this season and having Vonn by her side once again will definitely work as a massive boost to her aspirations. Do you believe Team USA will make waves with both of these iconic stars on the roster? Tell us in the comments!