Highly-rated coach Darren Cahill has done wonders for Jannik Sinner since joining the Italian’s team in the summer of 2022. After a career-best year ended with Davis Cup success last weekend, it’s clear the 22-year-old will have revamped expectations placed upon him for the 2024 season – the Australian namechecking Major success and peaking for the Olympics in Paris as goals.
Cahill: Sinner still has ample room for improvement
- After a frustrating start to the year… Jannik Sinner won his first Masters 1000 event in Toronto (August 7), before ATP 500 titles a month apart in Beijing, Vienna and the Davis Cup triumph. A first-time Wimbledon semifinalist, he went deep in Monte-Carlo, Indian Wells and Miami
- During an exclusive interview with Corriere dello Sport, Cahill declared Sinner’s targets: “The goal is to win a Slam. I don’t know when, but he has limitless potential and is capable – needs resilience, confidence and even a pinch of luck. We have to be good at not putting pressure on him. The Olympic Games are an absolute priority, he loves playing for Italy.”
- Simone Vagnozzi is the 22-year-old’s head coach, with physical trainer Umberto Ferrara’s help also being praised: “The work done in the last two years is bearing great fruit – he is much stronger, tougher and even faster.”
- Cahill also described Vagnozzi as a Godsend for Jannik from heaven. Why? “Technically, he is one of the most prepared coaches I’ve ever known.”
- Sinner set to have a 12-day break, ramp up training in Spain but not play any events in Australia before the year’s first Major… instead starting his 2024 season with the Kooyong Classic exhibition from January 10-12
Former player-turned-analyst Darren Cahill has coached a who’s who of tennis royalty over the years, across both tours. The 58-year-old’s compatriot Lleyton Hewitt was the youngest-ever player ranked world no. 1 under his guidance, while Andre Agassi achieved the opposite distinction – oldest no. 1 – under him two years later.
Andy Murray, Ana Ivanovic and Simona Halep are among those he’s worked with, the latter over four years – where she won her maiden Major at Roland Garros in 2018 – and the Australian believes Sinner will follow the Romanian’s footsteps before long.
Armed with a strong support team and invaluable experiences that will stand him in good stead for seasons to come – like blossoming rivalries against Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and most recently Novak Djokovic – he’s taking it all in his stride.
“I’m not surprised by the level Jannik has reached in recent weeks. I know the tennis he can express and what we can see in the future. He still has ample room for improvement and, for this very reason, working with him is exciting.
Now he always understands the game better, knows his body even more and listens to it.”
In his own experience on tour both as a player and coach, Cahill named Swedish duo Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and compatriot Pat Cash as the trio of players who have resembled such strength, maturity and a determined mindset at Sinner’s age.
He also said that since Sinner’s five-set defeat by Alexander Zverev in the US Open last-16, they’ve seen him grow from defeat and taken inspiration from failure.
“He understood what to improve and how… in the last few months, he’s connecting the dots.”
Remember this? April 2021 – Alexander Zverev: Jannik Sinner should be a top-10 player soon
Cahill on Piatti, Sinner’s improvements and growth
Cahill praised his predecessor Riccardo Piatti’s work with the youngster while publicly displaying the forethought to accept Sinner will make more future coaching changes to keep the team fresh with new voices as he continues maturing.
A graduate of the Nick Bollettieri school, Sinner announced he had parted ways with the 65-year-old and other IMG Academy team members last February having been coached by him since picking up the sport full-time as a young teenager.
“Riccardo built the foundations by carrying out incredible work. However, I have coached many players and sometimes it is nice dealing with a new voice, different opinions, a couple of new eyes, renewed inspiration and direction.
Maybe in three years Jannik will need new stimuli and choose another trainer, change is often important – he’s destined for great things regardless of his coaches.”
As far as technical improvements, Sinner’s backhand slice is something that Cahill pinpointed as an option he has progressively developed which in turn allows him to crunch forehand groundstrokes where possible too.
Having lost to Medvedev in their Miami final and gone deep at a handful of other ATP 1000 events elsewhere, it’s no surprise to see the Toronto title being described as a springboard to further success after a fantastic 20-2 finish to 2023 given the relative inconsistencies of his top-10 rivals elsewhere. Patience though, is still needed.
“Working with an athlete like Jannik is a privilege. However, you will see some new things – technical and tactical – in the next 18 months, it will take time to assimilate them.”
That success and subsequent growth comes at a cost, but he’s willing to make the necessary sacrifices – whether that be changing his diet, workout routines and more.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via Corriere dello Sport (text in Italian)
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