- Plenty of young contenders for the men’s title at the Australian Open
- The Italian star is at the front of the pack after a strong run of form
- Credited his Australian master coach for his meteoric rise
Jannik Sinner is so delighted with his Australian coach Darren Cahill that the Italian thinks they could be housemates for life.
The fourth seed will be first on center court, against Dutch world number 59 Botic van de Zandschulp, when the Australian Open starts a day earlier than traditional on Sunday.
The 22-year-old was arguably the most popular player on the ATP Tour ending 2023 as he defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev on his way to the title in Beijing.
He then avenged a loss to Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals decider by beating the Serbian twice in a day at the Davis Cup, before beating in-form Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur in the final in Malaga to send Italy to the title to inspire.
“I definitely still have that confidence,” Sinner said ahead of Sunday’s opener.
Italian Jannik Sinner is one of the leading contenders to win the Australian after a strong run of form
Australian master coach Darren Cahill has played a key role in Sinner’s rise to fame on the ATP Tour
Sinner said Cahill gave him a better overall perspective, not just a tennis perspective
Sinner was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year and Sinner’s grand slam credentials will be scrutinized again in Melbourne.
However, he will have a familiar face in his corner as veteran coach Cahill has been part of the Sinner camp since mid-2022.
“There’s a lot of things,” Sinner said when asked about the 58-year-old coach’s impact.
‘He not only gives you a tennis point of view, but also an overall picture. I really like this. I love the company I have. We are having lots of fun.’
Lleyton Hewitt became the world’s youngest No. 1 under Adelaide’s Cahill before the former US Open semi-finalist teamed up with Andre Agassi to take him back to the top.
Simona Halep also took the top spot with Cahill as her coach and Sinner, who also has Italian Simone Vagnozzi as his co-mentor, is his latest project.
“If we all lived in a house together 24/7, we could live that long because we don’t make a big deal out of it,” he mused.
‘We are enjoying our ride, that is good for us.
‘It is important, the destination, but perhaps the most important thing is the company you have around you.
‘You will always remember these kinds of things, even after your career.’