Jannik Sinner will only have one coach in his player’s box during his US Open title defence while it has also been confirmed that “nothing’s certain” about Darren Cahill’s future.
Cahill announced at the start of the year that he would retire from coaching after the 2025 season, but there had been strong hints in recent weeks that the Australian could make a U-turn and remain on the coaching set-up in 2026.
While there is speculation over his future, one thing is certain: Cahill won’t accompany Sinner to New York for the final Grand Slam of the year as Simone Vagnozzi confirmed to Italy’s La Repubblica that the 59-year-old will take a short break.
Vagnozzi will lead the coaching unit and controversial fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara is also set to be part of the team following his reappointment earlier this week.
Sinner parted ways with Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi last August following his two positive tests for clostebol in March 2024, but the former has rejoined with a statement confirming it is with “immediate effect”.
It added: “The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open.”
It remains to be seen how long Cahill’s break will be, but just a day earlier Vagnozzi admitted that it remains to be seen if he will change his mind about retirement.
In an interview with ATP Tour, he stated: “Honestly, nothing’s certain at the moment. But we’ll all be happy if Darren stays.”
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Vagnozzi and Cahill – who coached former world No 1s Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi in the past – have been part of Sinner’s team since 2022 and under their guidance, the Italian won his maiden Grand Slam at the 2024 Australian Open and became world No 1 last June.
Sinner also won the 2024 US Open and successfully defended his title at Melbourne Park at the beginning of the year.
The pairing of Vagnozzi and Cahill then saw Sinner finish runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros as he lost in five sets after the Spaniard saved three match points.
But the 23-year-old hit bounced back at Wimbledon as the pair helped him to overcome his French Open heartbreak by winning the grass-court Grand Slam.
The partnership is certainly working well with Vagnozzi saying: “I have to say that I’m so lucky to have met someone like Darren, both professionally and personally. We connected immediately, and that undoubtedly helped us in our journey. It’s never easy to find that chemistry, but we’ve always prioritised Jannik’s interests.
“In practice, we have different roles; I’m responsible for the more technical and tactical side of things, and he is more in charge of the mental and emotional aspects. Of course, we share everything, and the most important thing is that the player always hears one united voice.”
The post Jannik Sinner’s coaching surprise ahead of US Open appeared first on Tennis365.
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