Jannik Sinner reveals thinking behind changes to his team and dual coaches

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Jannik Sinner pleased

Jannik Sinner retains a reasonably large support team to back him up on the ATP Tour but not all members travel with him all the time.

Sinner says that while each member of the team is important to him, he likes to change things up sometimes.

The Toronto Masters champion insists that it is always good to get different voices and opinions around you.

“I would describe my team as nice people, happy people,” Sinner told ATPTOUR.com.

“Everyone knows very well what he has to do. I feel good with them and lucky to have them, so I think it is a very good team.

“Everyone is very important for me because for me it’s sometimes also good to mix it up a little bit.

“You don’t go to every tournament with the same people, but to have different voices sometimes, it’s very good. I think everyone is very important for me, because also with two different tennis coaches sometimes to have new things coming, you learn new things.”

Sinner doesn’t just take someone’s professional history into account when bringing a new team member on board, he says that he has to be able to feel comfortable around his support staff.

“When I ask someone to join my team it’s not only if they are the best in their work but also how I feel with them,” said Sinner. “For me that is very important because we spend not only the time when we work together, but also at dinner and in the morning.

“I see more of them than my family, so you have to feel very comfortable. They also have to understand my problems, as I sometimes have to understand their problems even if they are a little bit older than I am. It is just important to talk about everything very openly.”

Sinner has coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill working in tandem.

Vagnozzi says that the team gels well and works for the benefit of Sinner.

“Normally we are two coaches on the team, me and Darren Cahill,” explained Vagnozzi.

“Sometimes we are together, sometimes we are alone with Jannik. Normally I do the technical stuff on the court. [Giacomo and Umberto] do the physical stuff before, then we go to the court and play for one hour and a half, normally with another player. We play some points, do some drills, and in the afternoon, we do one hour of technique. Serve, volley, slice. Normally this is the routine.

“The relationship is really good. Darren is a really nice person and also has an unbelievable [work record],” said Vagnozzi.

“Umberto the fitness coach I’ve known for many years because we worked together with Cecchinato and Travaglia. The physio Giacomo is new, but he is a really nice guy, young. Right now, everything is working well.”

Cahill added that his role was more about mental aspects rather than tactics or technical coaching.

“My role is more about the experience and how to help him mentally in these big moments, and to make sure that we’re working on the right stuff that eventually is going to get him to the place we want to be,” Cahill explained.

“To help Umberto and Giacomo [as well] and work out when we need to practise for an extra 45 minutes, or when it’s good to send him back to the hotel to rest.

“It’s just the little things that make a big difference in a player’s career, and that’s kind of my role, more of an overseer of the team. So far, it’s been really enjoyable, and I love it.”

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