Jannik Sinner’s coach opens up on comparisons with Novak Djokovic’s dominance

Jannik Sinner is emerging as the most likely candidate to knock Novak Djokovic off his perch as the world No 1, but his coach Darren Cahill has insisted his man will never dominate men’s tennis like the 24-time Grand Slam king.

Sinner is up to No 2 in the world for the first time after his stunningly clinical win at the Miami Open and he could knock Djokovic off the top of the ATP Rankings at some point in 2024.

With Djokovic playing fewer tournaments at the back end of his career, the rise of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz suggests his time as the undisputed king of men’s tennis may have already come to an end.

Yet the highly respected Cahill has insisted any prospect of Sinner dominating men’s tennis in a manner Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal managed over the last couple of decades is unrealistic.

“I don’t think anybody should be comparing this generation yet to the generation that we have just seen with Novak, who is still playing, with Federer, Nadal, who is still playing. What they were able to achieve for so many years is remarkable,” said Cahill in Miami.

“I don’t think we will ever see that domination again no matter what. So to be able to coach through that, to live through it, to watch it as a fan, it’s been remarkable how they have pushed their frontier of the game and made everyone more professional and made everybody play better.

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“What you are seeing with the players coming through now is a direct result of their professionalism, of the teams they put together, the way they have tried to inch out every piece of improvement in each of their games. They’ve got big teams. They go from the physio to the mental coach to a couple of tennis coaches now to a fitness trainer.

“You’re trying to tick every single box to maximize a player’s career. So this generation is copying and they’re doing pretty much the same thing. But I wouldn’t start comparing what Carlos or Jannik or Holger or these types of players are doing just yet to the generation prior, because I think that’s unfair.

“They need time to establish themselves. But the level is right up there, and it’s a good level, but they need to win a lot more before you start comparing them to those boys.”

Cahill also suggested Djokovic’s dedication is a facet of his make-up Sinner will learn, from as he suggested there is still so much more to come from the 22-year-old Italian.

“Novak at 36 years of age is still looking for improvement in his game, and we know that he’s going to make adjustments,” added Cahill.

“We know that Medvedev will make adjustments. We know that changes will be made. Carlos continues to look for improvements in his serve. It’s just normal.

“I had a chance to work with (Andre) Agassi when he was 32 years of age. The moment I stepped on the court with Andre, it was all business and he wanted to become better as a tennis player at 32, better than he was at 22.

“So this generation is privileged to have seen the previous generations push for improvements no matter how old you are. That’s what Jannik will do.

“So yes, he can get better for sure, but we’ve got to give credit where credit is due. He’s playing terrific tennis at the moment.”

Sinner is due to start practicing on clay courts with Cahill and his team on Thursday as he prepares to play at the Monte-Carlo Masters later this month.