Sinner, in any situation there is always a third wheel lurking: so many obstacles at the Australian Open.
To say now that Jannik Sinner will win a Slam is easy. He has shown so much over the past few months that it is entirely safe to assume that he is ready to take the plunge. He has already improved a great deal and can still polish some aspects of his game, reasoning that he can easily aspire to perfection, or at least come very close.
Some people, however, believed in him even before he broke into the top ten. Before he managed the not easy feat of beating some of the strongest tennis players of this era, such as Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and, last but not least, Novak Djokovic. The list of underdogs who have come under the axe of the South Tyrolean champion is still long, but there would be no point in listing all the opponents he has executed, having already mentioned that he has defeated the top 3 of the Atp ranking. Some, we said, always knew he was destined for great things. Like John McEnroe, for example, who at one point was rumored to be his new supercoach.
In the end, the vacancy on Jannik’s team fell to Darren Cahill, who is credited with giving the Sinner phenomenon a big boost. Regardless, though, Big Mac continues to be one of the San Candido native’s biggest admirers. “I’ve known him for a few years,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport, “I saw him often when he was training with Riccardo Piatti, who did a great job. Right away I was thrilled by his humble but positive attitude, always looking for improvement. For the past couple of years he has changed technical leadership, and Darren Cahill along with Simone Vagnozzi and the rest of the team have helped him take a step forward by adding something to his game. “
Sinner, watch out for the third wheel: McEnroe says so
The former champion and coach, who now comments on tennis for Eurosport, believes it is time, however, now, to take the plunge. To aim for the Slam, perhaps right in Australia. Provided, of course, that he can hold off the other two number one aspirants on the world circuit.
When asked what he thought of the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry, McEnroe added to the picture an element that, indeed, it would be wrong to underestimate. “Carlos is the most complete player there is,” he noted, “Physically powerful, capable at the net, an example everyone looks up to. Of course, he is still young and can grow. Jannik, we said, has matured a lot and is also learning to go to the net, with them tennis is in good hands. But I would not forget Rune.”
Then, a passage about Becker joining the young Dane’s team: “If Holger relies totally, being guided, I am sure that important results will come.” And let’s hope it is not true, this time, that between the two quarrels the third enjoys…
