Intro:
Darren Cahill, coach of Jannik Sinner, believes it is unjust to compare the current generation of tennis players to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. Cahill started coaching Sinner in July 2022, and has previously coached Grand Slam winners Simona Halep, Andre Agassi, and Lleyton Hewitt.
Sinner recently claimed his third title of the 2024 season at the Miami Open, following wins at the Australian Open and Rotterdam Open. He defeated Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria 6-3, 6-1 in the Miami final, earning his second Masters 1000 title and improving his win-loss record to 22-1 for the year. Sinner lost only one set during the entire tournament. As a result, a journalist asked Cahill if he could identify any similarities between Sinner’s dominance and that of previous generation players like Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and his former students.
Cahill responded by saying, “Well, I don’t think anybody should be comparing this generation yet with Novak, Federer, Nadal. What they were able to achieve for so many years is remarkable. I don’t think we will ever see that domination again no matter what.” He further added that the current generation of players needs more time to establish themselves and win more titles before they can be compared to their predecessors.
Since the beginning of the year, Jannik Sinner has won a Grand Slam, an ATP 500, and a Masters 1000. Coach Darren Cahill believes Sinner’s current form can be attributed to his strong finish in the previous season. “Finish to the year last year helped him a lot. He [Jannik Sinner] has matured a lot in the last 12 months. I think doing what he did in Turin [ATP Finals], getting through to the final, and winning Davis Cup for Italy was a huge moment for him. He was able to carry that belief through to the Australian Open,” Cahill said during the press conference.
Interestingly, all three of Sinner’s recent campaigns mentioned by Cahill included at least one victory over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Sinner defeated Djokovic in a round-robin match at the ATP Finals, lost to him in the finals, and then won against him in Italy’s semifinal tie against Serbia at the Davis Cup as well as the semifinals at the 2024 Australian Open.
