Sinner preferred to dribble the topic and did so rather deftly: now there is a mystery to unravel.
Two years ago this time, it was a game of guessing who Jannik Sinner’s choice would ultimately fall on. The South Tyrolean was looking for a supercoach, and many were the guesses on the plate. No one had ever thought, however, that vying for that position might be a certain Australian who already knew a thing or two about champions.
The San Candido native, as is well known, did not turn to either John McEnroe or Boris Becker, who also seemed to be at the top of the list of candidates. Rather, he opted for Darren Cahill, who now sits in his box next to Simone Vagnozzi and who, this is for all to see, has made an indispensable contribution to the rise of the Italian champion. Not only in “technical” terms, but also in terms of the atmosphere within the team. He is the one, Sinner feels, who instills calm and serenity behind the locker room. He is the one he turns to when he needs confidence and peace of mind.
Darren knows best. How to reassure a tennis player who needs, from time to time, to stop and catch his breath lest the maddening pace of the circuit crush him. He used to do the same, on the other hand, in the days of Andre Agassi, the former world No. 1 who availed himself, in his time, of Cahill’s invaluable help. And who, under his guidance, managed to win a Slam at the ripe – sportingly speaking – age of 32. There are many who perceive a certain similarity between Sinner and Agassi, although Jannik is a completely different player from Darren’s former protégé.
Sinner like Agassi, but the surprises are not over yet
“Before Roland Garros,” the Italian told Gazzetta dello Sport, “we also studied Agassi’s backhand, he could do everything with that shot but approaching him is too challenging. Andre is on another level,” he said, with his usual humility, “you can learn a lot from champions like him. “
When asked, then, what goals he is pursuing at the technical level, his answer was this, “My game is getting richer and richer – these are his words – but I can’t reveal everything in one game.” The work behind the scenes, as he cleverly glossed over the question, was tinged with yellow, but this means that Sinner has not yet unleashed his full repertoire and that many surprises still lie in store for us in the weeks to come.