"They come to tournament, they do not speak one word about tennis" - Jannik Sinner's coach on why the Italian is 'lucky' to have his parents
Jannik Sinner's head coach Simone Vagnozzi has praised the Italian's parents after his 2024 Australian Open triumph.
On Sunday, January 28, Sinner came from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Melbourne Major. He won 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena to clinch his maiden Grand Slam title.
After the match, Sinner, in his on-court speech, made special mention of his parents, stating their importance in his career.
At a press conference later, Vagnozzi was asked to elaborate on the impact Sinner's father Johann and mother Siglinde have had. The 40-year-old stated that they never interfere with the coaching and are always a silent presence, which was rare in an era where everyone had a few tips and tricks to offer thanks to the internet.
"If we have to speak about the parents, the parents of Jannik are wonderful, really wonderful. Sometimes they come to the tournament that they are not speak one word about tennis. They just there. They enjoy the life of the tournament but not, never come to us and say, Oh, you know, the serve, volley, the breakpoint," he said.
"And right now it's not easy to find some kind of family, because with YouTube, everyone is a coach. Especially in Italy," he added.
Vagnozzi also said that their positive influence on Sinner is very clearly seen in his behavior on the court.
"We are really lucky to have one family to back him like this. The education that Jannik have, you saw every day on court, no. The racquet never go down one time. It's really quiet. I think for the Italian is a really good example to have," he opined.
Darren Cahill: "Jannik Sinner has been brought up really well, he's got his feet on the ground"
When Jannik Sinner refreshed his coaching team, Darren Cahill was an important addition. Having previously coached former World No. 1s Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Simona Halep, he was expected to help take Sinner's game to the next level.
And having worked with Sinner since mid-2022, Cahill agreed with Simone Vagnozzi's views on the Italian's parents. He said that Sinner's respectful personality is a result of how he was brought up.
"What you see on Jannik Sinner on the court is incredibly respectful on the court, whether it be to the umpires or ballkids or linespeople, anybody around, the transport drivers, people at the restaurant. He's been brought up really well. He's got his feet on the ground. His parents are exactly the same as him," he said.
Cahill also said that the team loves having his parents around, especially Sinner's father Johann for his culinary skills.
"His dad's got that goofy smile that Jannik has. He's a chef. So we want him to come as much as possible because we eat really well when he's around," he expressed.