Jannik Sinner has 'everything to become No. 1 in the world', believes coach Darren Cahill
As Jannik Sinner continues to make headway in his campaign at the 2023 Miami Open, his coach Darren Cahill has opened up about the Italian's potential to reach the top spot in the ATP rankings.
Cahill has had a storied career in the coaching sphere, having worked with the likes of Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Ana Ivanovic among others. He also coached Simona Halep to two Grand Slam titles and the World No. 1 ranking.
The 57-year-old Australian joined Sinner's team in June 2022 after the Italian split with his childhood coach Riccardo Piatti.
In an interview with Eurosport, Cahill stated that Sinner was a top-ten player and had impressive strengths and training even before his involvement.
"Jannik has everything to become number one in the world. Before my arrival he was already a great player, among the top ten in the rankings: he has incredible weapons and was well trained," he said.
Cahill suggested that in order for Sinner to defeat the top players going around, his coaching team needed to analyze his matches against them and identify the areas that required improvement. He acknowledged that this process would take time and involve exposure to various match situations.
"Now we need to watch his matches against the best tennis players around and understand what's keeping him from beating them. Then work on it. It definitely takes time, a couple of years and many match situations," he added.
Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill identifies areas for improvement in his game
In the same interview, Darren Cahill admitted that Jannik Sinner could make improvements to various aspects of his game, including his serve, transition game, and baseline dominance. However, he emphasized the importance of continuing to work on the World No. 11's existing strengths.
"He can improve his serve, his transition game, he can be dominant from the baseline. But the most important thing, when you train great players, is to keep improving their strengths. Jannik moves incredibly well, so we spend a lot of time on that aspect," he said.
While Cahill highlighted Sinner's willingness to experiment with new approaches and techniques to improve his game, he also stressed the importance of maintaining his innate style of play.
"It's great to see how he's so willing to try new things and try to improve, as long as you don't stray too far from the type of player he is. It also takes a bit of luck. Being in the right place at the right time. The results come because the champions are not only in the mind, but also in the heart," he added.
Jannik Sinner is currently competing at the ongoing Miami Open. He defeated Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to progress to the fourth round, where he will face Andrey Rublev for a spot in the quarterfinals.