"Jannik Sinner reminds me a little of how Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander managed the pressure" - Coach Darren Cahill
Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill has lavished praise on the Italian for his ability to handle pressure, saying that he's similar to the legendary Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander.
In a recent interview with Corriere dello Sport, Cahill hailed Sinner's ability to adapt to different situations and maturity as his greatest virtues. The Australian, who joined the 22-year-old's entourage last year, was also appreciative of Sinner's attitude, emphasizing his intellegence and charismatic approach on the court.
"His greatest virtue is his ability to adapt to all types of situations and he is a very mature boy for his age, in that sense he reminds me a little of how Borg and Wilander managed the pressure.
"He is always smiling, he is very intelligent and competitive, in addition to generating a very good atmosphere wherever he goes," Darren Cahill said, as quoted by Punto de Break.
Darren Cahill added his observations on the changes Jannik Sinner has made to the technical side of his game in the last two years, marveling at the improvement the World No. 4 has shown in his forehand and the sliced backhand.
"I'm not surprised by the level at which he has played in the last two weeks of the season because I know what he loves this sport and how he works.
"He has learned a lot in the last two years, and his improvement has been evident in some shots as well, such as example, the sliced backhand. He has also polished things on his forehand, which is one of the most impressive I have seen in my career," Cahill said.
"I know that Jannik Sinner is prepared to do anything to continue improving" - Daren Cahill
Interestingly, Darren Cahill remarked that he wouldn't be surprised if Jannik Sinner opted for a different coach in a few years after realizing that he needed a new perspective on his game.
The Australian is confident that Sinner is someone who's prepared to do anything to continue improving and has no doubts that he will reach enormous success regardless of who he has at the helm.
"From now on I know that (Jannik Sinner) is prepared to do anything to continue improving. He has the will to do technical, tactical, nutritional adjustments and everything that can be asked of him," Cahill said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years he realized who needs something different from me, for example. I know he is going to have enormous success, regardless of the coaches who accompany him," he added.
Sinner showed tremendous improvement in 2023, winning his maiden Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open and reaching his maiden Slam semifinal at Wimbledon.
He also led Italy to the Davis Cup title, most notably beating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.