In recent years, Jannik Sinner has become one of the most dominant players on tour, winning three major titles and reaching the World No. 1. As his growth has been outstanding, his coach Darren Cahill has confessed that Novak Djokovic gave important advice to the Italian.
In a new conversation with Andy Roddick for his podcast Served with Andy, Cahill revealed that he asked Djokovic for his insight after the Serbian legend beat Sinner at Wimbledon in five sets in the quarterfinals. “I saw Novak, and he’s always great with this. He’s always been incredible when you tap him on the shoulder. I said, ‘Hey, listen, I just started with Jannik. Don’t tell me anything you don’t want to tell me, but can I ask what you were feeling out there?’”
Cahill continued, “He basically said, ‘Hey, listen, good luck working with him. Yeah, he hits the ball great, but there’s no variation. There’s no shape on his shot, there’s no height over the net. He doesn’t come to the net. He’s not trying to bring me in. I know that he returns well, but he’s not attacking my serve on the return of serve.”
While he said that what Djokovic said wasn’t a “revelation,” it helped because it left a “big impression” on Sinner. “So, for Jannik, it is right to say, “Give it to me. Let’s start making these changes,” he said.
Cahill said that with that Simone Vagnozzi, Sinner’s other coach, “went through it piece by piece, and together they’ve been willing to make a lot of changes to his game. That’s where you see the evolution of his game now.”
Sinner aims for a first Wimbledon title
This season has been challenging for Sinner, despite his triumphs. After winning in Australia, the Italian had to step back from the court to comply with a three-month suspension for two positive drug tests in 2024, which were deemed accidental.
After his return, however, he reached the finals in Rome and Roland Garros, losing both to Carlos Alcaraz. He is now competing at Halle, where he is preparing for Wimbledon. In London, the Italian will seek to win his first title, taking the crown from Alcaraz, who is the defending champion.
