LONDON (AP) \u2014 Clay, grass, hard court \u2014 or even snow. <\/p>\n
The surface underfoot doesn\u2019t seem to make any difference for Jannik Sinner<\/a>.<\/p>\n The top-ranked player \u2014 who is currently attempting to defend his title at Wimbledon<\/a> \u2014 was one of Italy\u2019s top junior skiers before he turned his attention full time to tennis. <\/p>\n Now Sinner excels on every type of court and his background as a skier might have helped his tennis game.<\/p>\n Just like an elite slalom skier perfectly shifting their weight back and forth from one gate to the next, Sinner hardly ever seems off balance as he rushes back and forth across the baseline \u2014 despite his tall and lanky 6-foot-3 (1.91-meter) frame.<\/p>\n Fellow tennis player Casper Ruud agreed that the most impressive thing about Sinner is his movement.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s strong also in balance and flexible to get to certain positions,\u201d Ruud said. \u201cHe has good hip movement and knows how to slide (into) both corners.\u201d<\/p>\n Skiing standout Lindsey Vonn<\/a> also pointed to Sinner\u2019s ability to stay in balance.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has an amazing kinesthetic sense, which is an important skill in both sports,\u201d Vonn told The Associated Press<\/a>. \u201cHe is very aware of his body in space and time, so even though he is tall, he moves fluidly and in sync.\u201d<\/p>\n Sinner won a national skiing championship when he was eight and placed second in Italian nationals at 12.<\/p>\n In a 2009 giant slalom won by Sinner, Giovanni Franzoni \u2014 the breakout downhiller of last season<\/a> \u2014 finished 12th, four seconds behind.<\/p>\n Franzoni is now the Kitzb\u00fchel downhill champion and the Olympic silver medalist.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really good,\u201d Sinner said after his first Grand Slam title in 2024<\/a>. \u201cBut then I had a couple of so-so seasons when I started competing against older athletes in slalom and giant slalom and when downhill came into the picture I weighed too little to compete.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I kept on playing tennis,\u201d Sinner added. \u201cIn skiing, if you make a mistake you\u2019re out; it\u2019s a dangerous sport and you need to get up early in the morning and venture outside in frigid temperatures. Tennis is a bit more accessible. In the end I think I made the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Vonn, who shares a common sponsor with Sinner, once hit the slopes with the tennis star.<\/p>\n \u201cHe skis similarly to how he plays tennis; he is fluid, smooth, and makes it look easy,\u201d Vonn said in written comments. \u201cHis knees and hips are always parallel and he is always in balance. I really enjoyed skiing with him and I hope to do it again, but after his tennis career!\u201d<\/p>\n Many elite skiers include tennis in their summer training regimen. Vonn\u2019s fellow Olympic champion Bode Miller was a state high school champion tennis player in Maine and his family ran a tennis academy in New Hampshire. He once attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n \u201cI love playing tennis. It\u2019s good for my footwork, mental strength and general athleticism,\u201d Vonn said. \u201cI know of quite a few skiers who play tennis as a form of cross training. It\u2019s a way to push myself physically and mentally. When you get physically tired, you have to still be mentally strategic and cool under pressure. I love that about tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n Vonn was the top World Cup downhiller last season at age 41 until her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics<\/a> in February left her with a severely fractured left leg<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ruud, who is Norwegian, was also a skier as a kid, \u201cbut I don\u2019t move as good as him,\u201d he said of Sinner.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily believe because he did skiing when he was young, that\u2019s why he moves so well,\u201d Ruud said. \u201cI mean, look at (Carlos) Alcaraz: He didn\u2019t ski and he also moves pretty damn well.\u201d <\/p>\n Ultimately, Ruud suggested, it\u2019s just healthy for kids to try as many sports as they can.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what it is, whether it\u2019s skiing, running, golf. Doing things that keep you active is great. I have never seen Jannik ski other than videos. Would be fun to do a skiing competition one day,\u201d Ruud said with a smile.<\/p>\n Kostyuk\u2019s gymnastics and backflips<\/p>\n When Marta Kostyuk won the Madrid Open<\/a> in May, she performed her customary title celebration: a backflip.<\/p>\n It was a nod to the Ukrainian player\u2019s background in gymnastics, a sport she practiced until she was 11.<\/p>\n While Kostyuk appreciated the physical part of gymnastics, it was a stressful sport for her outside the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to be super skinny. I had to control what I eat. I would weigh myself 20-30 times a day from 8 to 10 years old,\u201d Kostyuk said. \u201cThat had some consequences on me obviously that I had to work through.\u201d<\/p>\n Kostyuk also tore an abductor muscle while performing gymnastics as a kid, which she called \u201ca really big injury.<\/p>\n \u201cThat had also consequences in my career,\u201d she said. \u201cI fixed them but it took a while. I don\u2019t know about Jannik and if he ever got any bad injuries but I\u2019ve been there so there\u2019s always two sides. But for sure it helped my tennis and I\u2019m happy that I got out on the other side better.\u201d<\/p>\n Cobolli\u2019s soccer skills<\/p>\n French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli<\/a> was a talented soccer player and a member of Roma\u2019s youth club until he decided to focus fully on tennis.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a good physical skill and a lot of stamina, and maybe football helped me (in that department),\u201d Cobolli said.<\/p>\n Many of the soccer players he used to train with as a kid are professionals now and remain good friends, like Watford midfielder Edoardo Bove<\/a>, Arsenal fullback Riccardo Calafiori<\/a>, Atalanta winger Nicola Zalewski and Lazio winger Matteo Cancellieri.<\/p>\n Djokovic was also a skier<\/p>\n Similarly to Sinner, Novak Djokovic grew up on a ski hill in Serbia and his father was a ski racer and instructor.<\/p>\n Along with Djokovic, Sinner is one of the few players who slides into shots on grass.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was always very natural,\u201d Sinner said of his sliding abilities. \u201cMaybe the skiing was a big part of (it) with the balance.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n