‘A Martian’: Jannik Sinner’s teammate opens up on the world No 2’s relentless pre-season training
Luciano Darderi believes that Jannik Sinner plays a ‘different kind of tennis’, after carrying out pre-season training with the four-time Grand Slam champion ahead of 2026’s first Grand Slam.
The two Italianss have been practising at the Davide Giusti Academy in Dubai, a popular destination for many tennis stars during the off-season.
Sinner ended 2025 in the best possible fashion by winning titles in Vienna, Paris, and – most notably – at the Nitto ATP Finals.
In the latter, he defeated world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz to clinch back-to-back Turin titles.
However, after a relatively dominant defeat to the Spaniard at the US Open in September, Sinner will be looking to maximise his chances at the Australian Open.
“Jannik is a man of few words and much substance,” Darderi analysed.
“There is only training and hard work. The last time I had trained with him was at Roland-Garros. It’s completely different, a different kind of tennis.
“The weight of the ball and the consistency of striking make the difference. I felt like I was inside a rocket that had left Earth and landed on Mars. Yes, Jannik is a Martian.
“These trainings are incredibly useful for me, they allow me to understand where I need to improve. Last year, I broke into the top-30, and my main goal for 2026 is to enter the top-20.
“It’s not an obsession, but it does give me a clear direction. I know that tennis is a sport that requires tremendous sacrifice, and I don’t shy away from it.
“I’m someone who, if I need to, will run a marathon every day to be among the best. If I have to climb a mountain, I will climb it. It’s my nature”.
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Darderi achieved a career-high ranking of world No 26 in October after collecting three titles during the 2025 season – in Marrakech (defeating Hugo Gaston), Bastad (defeating Jesper De Jong), and Umag (defeating Carlos Taberner).
The Italian joined Carlos Alcaraz (eight), Alexander Bublik (four), and Felix Auger-Aliassime (three) as the only players to win three or more ATP singles titles over the 2025 season.
In Melbourne, Sinner will be in search of his third consecutive Australian Open title and a chance to take another step closer to Alcaraz’s Grand Slam tally (six).
Despite being the favourite, the Italian has – according to La Gazzetta dello Sport – been focusing on his slice backhand during his off-season training, seeking to add more variety to his game.
After his victory over Alcaraz at the ATP Finals, Sinner remarked that he believes he is on an upward trajectory, even if his year-end ranking was one spot below that of 2024.
“Mostly I feel I am a better player than last year, I think this is the most important,” reflected the world No 2.
“It’s all part of the process. I always say and believe that if you keep working and trying to be a better player, the results, they’re going to come. This year it was like this.
“Many, many wins, and not many losses. All the losses I had, I tried to see the positive thing and trying to evolve me as a player.
“I feel like or I felt like this happened in a very good way. I’m extremely happy with the season.”
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