Sinner coach: “Jannik knows that he is privileged”

The 58-year-old Australian also had to go to the press conference after his protégé's triumph in Florida and gave some interesting answers.

“Jannik knows that he is privileged and that he can practice the sport he loves. He appreciates every moment, but he also has both feet on the ground. He knows it's just a sport, just a tennis match. He is a normal 22 year old boy. You can learn a lot of good things from him, including from Carlos (Alcaraz). I think the two are similar in many ways. That’s why I believe tennis is in good hands.”

Compare with the Big 3 Cahill has seen the best players of all time in their prime and coached some of them. “I don't think you should compare today's generation with Novak Djokovic, who is still playing, with Federer, or with Rafael Nadal, who is still playing. I don't think we'll ever see such dominance again the way they pushed the boundaries of the game. What you see in the players coming through now is a direct result of their professionalism. This generation is copying and doing pretty much the same thing. But I wouldn't compare Carlos, Jannik or Holger (Rune) with the generation before, that's unfair. They need time to establish themselves. They have to win a lot more before you compare them to these guys.” “I don’t think we’ll ever see dominance like that again, the way they pushed the boundaries of the game.” Cahill on Federer-Nadal-Djokovic When Cahill speaks of Sinner, he waxes lyrical: “Yeah, he’s a great kid. It's a pleasure to work with him. We have a great team and as I have said many times, Simone Vagnozzi is the most important coach of this team. That doesn't change whether he's here or not. We do a lot of the tactical and technical work together, we discuss everything, but Simone is largely responsible for what you see from Jannik and his improvements. Together with Umberto (Ferrara), the fitness trainer, we also have Giacomo (Naldi) here. Andrea is the other physio. It's a great team. They enjoy every part of Jannik's success, and Jannik feels that he is well cared for, that he is being well looked after. That’s the most important thing, having a good team around you.”

Darren Cahill praises Jannik Sinner about the green clover. © AFP / DAVID GRAY

Cahill also has his job. “Personally, I have a slightly different role compared to my previous roles as a coach, but I really enjoy it. I think Italians call me a bit dad on social media. I’m also something like the dad of this team.”

Sinner's development is not yet over Jannik Sinner is the star of the team: “At the moment he is playing with great confidence. The level he has shown these days in Miami has been fantastic, but I am sure he can get even better. Its development is not yet complete. Over time he will become even stronger, faster, smarter and more clever. He will improve, I'm sure, but let's enjoy the moment. He plays at a high level and he deserves everything that happens to him.”

Sinner has matured incredibly over the last 12 months. “The end of last year helped him a lot. He made it to the final in Turin and then led Italy to victory in the Davis Cup. That was a big moment for him and he took that belief with him to the Australian Open. Now he goes on the pitch and respects every opponent, but he is not afraid of anyone. It’s really important that you’re ready to give your best when you step on the court.”

Cahill was also asked about Sinner's physical strength on Sunday in Miami: “2 words. Umberto Ferrara, the fitness coach. He did an exceptional job. I also think it's important that someone new to a team first plans the progress an athlete needs to make. Umberto was incredibly good in that regard. We started almost 2 years ago. Now Jannik is reaping the fruits of this work.”

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Sinner coach: “Jannik knows that he is privileged”

Darren Cahill has been part of Jannik Sinner's team since June 2022. The Australian was the missing piece of the puzzle in the team. And the coach praised the new world number 2 highly after the victory in Miami.

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