Jannik Sinner’s own coach has said it “isn’t that surprising” that the Italian lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final and said the Spaniard was “better” in every department.
The two rivals faced off in their third Grand Slam final of the year last month but unusually, the match was rather one-sided with Alcaraz winning via a 3-1 set advantage.
Jannik Sinner coach reveals thoughts on US Open final
The meeting at Flushing Meadows was the third time in a row that a men’s Grand Slam final had been contested by Sinner and Alcaraz but it was the most one-sided of the year with the latter winning 21 of the 34 games played.
To see Sinner, who was world No.1 at the time, steamrolled in such dramatic fashion was surprising for many onlookers but not it would seem for his coaching staff.
Simone Vagnozzi, Sinner’s coach, said it came as no great shock, and suggested Alcaraz was better in every department.
“The loss in New York, in my opinion, isn’t that surprising,” he told Corriere dello Sport. “At that point, Carlos was better than Jannik psychologically, physically, and tennis-wise.
“But we mustn’t forget that he too had five difficult months, and today they’re trying to make Jannik look like a player in crisis, in a year in which he won two Grand Slams and reached finals every week.
“He’s doing extraordinary things. Plus, like everyone else, we always want to improve.”
Vagnozzi, who himself was a player from 1999 to 2015, said he was though surprised by the reaction to the defeat, suggesting matches can sometimes be decided by small margins.
“You know, sometimes I’m surprised by how much people talk about certain things,” the 42-year-old Italian said. “Sometimes things work, sometimes less so.
“In the United States, Jannik didn’t serve very well, and we made some adjustments: his movement changed the day before arriving in China.”
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“During the first few days in Beijing, he adapted and then served very well. Then, it’s clear that something new always needs to be added to the game, otherwise we become predictable. This doesn’t mean Sinner has to become a serve-and-volley player.
“There are drop shots and slices, but also other variations, whether it’s taking a down-the-line first, returning more aggressively, playing a kick, or going to the body. It’s simply about improving; I don’t find anything surprising about it.
“When you’re trying to become number one, it’s different than when you’re already there and have to do something to stay there. Some changes can seem riskier because you think you might lose something. Jannik is smart enough to understand whether our proposals are right or wrong.
“At the same time, we have to work on ideas he believes in, otherwise it won’t work. And sometimes even losing a match helps a player understand that it might be time to make some changes.”
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