How many coaches does Jannik Sinner have and who are they? Everything to know about the Australian Open champion's team
Jannik Sinner has become the first Italian man since Adriano Pannata in 1976 to win a singles Grand Slam title, beating World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev on Sunday (January 28) to lift the Australian Open trophy. The men who helped orchestrate the 22-year-old's biggest breakthrough are his coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi.
Sinner, whose 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Medvedev made him the youngest man to win the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic in 2008, has made rapid strides over the last few months.
The Italian's best Major showing until his Melbourne success was at last year's Wimbledon, where he reached the last four of a Slam for the first time. He went on a tremendous run of form after that, winning his maiden ATP Masters crown at Toronto and a couple of ATP 500 titles in Beijing and Vienna. At the ATP Finals, he toppled Novak Djokovic in the round-robin stage before finishing runner-up to him in the final.
Sinner claimed one more win over Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals, ahead of what was to be a memorable start to the 2024 season Down Under.
During the Australian Open fortnight, he once again got the better of the Serb en route to a dream finish to the Slam.
Jannik Sinner's confidence has grown with every passing month ever since he teamed up with Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill. The two, along with physio Giacomo Naldi and fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, have played a big role in making Sinner who he is today.
Vagnozzi and Cahill's efforts were rightly recognized when they were bestowed with the ATP Coach of the Year award for 2023.
Vagnozzi and Cahill both joined Jannik Sinner's team in 2022
Following his split with long-term coach Ricciardo Piatti, Jannik Sinner joined forces with former Italian tennis player Simone Vagnozzi in February 2022. Veteran Aussie coach Darren Cahill, who has previously mentored Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Simona Halep, came on board after a trial at Wimbledon that year.
Each of these coaches has his own role in honing Sinner's skills. Vagnozzi focuses on the technical fine-tuning of the World No. 4's game after he warms up with his physio and fitness trainer.
"Normally I do the technical stuff on the court. [Giacomo and Umberto] do the physical stuff before, then we go to the court and play for one hour and a half, normally with another player. We play some points, do some drills, and in the afternoon, we do one hour of technique. Serve, volley, slice. Normally this is the routine,” Vagnozzi was quoted as saying by the ATP in 2023.
Cahill, with his vast experience of coaching top pros, prepares Sinner mentally for the crucial make-or-break moments in matches.
“My role is more about the experience and how to help him mentally in these big moments, and to make sure that we're working on the right stuff that eventually is going to get him to the place we want to be,” Cahill told the ATP last year.
Speaking more recently to the Australian Open website, the Aussie coach described himself as the overseer. While Sinner's Italian coach is the driving force, Cahill's knowledge and insights have helped the 22-year-old take that extra step ahead.
“I'm more overseeing everything. Certainly, we discuss tactics and the technical and everything, but Simone is the voice. He's the guy driving a lot of what you see in the improvements of Jannik," Cahill told the Australian Open. “Part of our role as coaches is to help him learn from experiences and build that resilience."
Their coordination and synergy have aided in improving Jannik Sinner's tactical awareness, fitness, mental strength, and most importantly, self-belief. The World No. 4 also feels at home with his team, which is reflecting in his recent results. The whole group often engages in card games or go-karting to take the youngster's mind off tennis and help him relax.
“When I ask someone to join my team it's not only if they are the best in their work but also how I feel with them. For me that is very important because we spend not only the time when we work together, but also at dinner and in the morning," Jannik Sinner told the ATP last year about his team.
The fantastic bond amongst them all has now culminated in the Australian Open title, which is expected to be the first of many.