The complete Sinner team in the USA
Jannik Sinner on the shields after the spectacular win against Rublev dominated the round of 16 game yesterday afternoon. Interviewed by the US press after the game, the Blues focused on his excellent relationship with Darren Cahill, the veteran Australian coach who has a history of guiding tennis players like Hewitt and Halep to excellence and ending his career – but terribly successful – revived by Agasi. As usual, a small adjustment was needed, but the work of the Vagnozzi-Cahill team is shaping a new Sinner, more powerful, more continuous, stronger and more evolved. Together they worked to give structure to Jannik’s immature physique, a fundamental element as his game is powerful and punchy and therefore requires strength and endurance. At the same time, the Aussie coach worked hard to persuade Sinner to study his opponents better and adapt tactics to the situation, rather than limit himself to uncompromisingly producing his own game.
“We’ve started to study the opponent much better, that’s a point in which we’ve certainly all invested a lot,” says Sinner. “It was a nice change, it was difficult for me to understand at the beginning because I only played with my game plan, but not with that of my opponent. Last year at some point on the pitch I had trouble figuring out when to do it and when not to. I’m a different player now. All of those things are part of my growing up.”
“Darren and I don’t talk much in the moments leading up to the game. If he gives me some mental advice? The most important thing, he always tells me, is to be proud of where I am and to enjoy it when I play. Even if I don’t laugh a lot, I still have a lot of fun,” concludes Jannik.
Instead, he sticks to his goals for the season at the base: “My only real goal is to improve every day, with work,” says Jannik, without setting a specific goal.
