Coach Simone Vagnozzi Reveals One Thing He Hoped Jannik Sinner Wouldn’t Say During Their First Conversation

Simone Vagnozzi joined Jannik Sinner‘s team in February 2022. At that time, the now No.1-ranked player stood in the 10th spot

The 24-year-old became the No.1 player for the first time in June 2024. Under Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, Sinner won five Majors, two ATP titles, 10 Masters 1000s, and reached the No.1 ranking. Vagnozzi, during his interview with Corriere dello Sport, recalled the first conversation he had with his protege.

I was hoping he wouldn’t tell me he was happy being World No. 10. And so he was. He wanted to be World No.1. At the time, he was struggling with [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic, and [Stefanos] Tsitsipas. To become a leader, many things needed to be improved. He was already very strong, but he needed to strengthen his physical and muscular side and work on his mental side. If I think back to Jannik five years ago, when we started, I see him completely different today.

Sinner started this season ranked No.2. He had no points to defend in the two Sunshine Double events, Monte Carlo, and Madrid. He won these events, with his win in The Principality over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz saw him dethrone the Spaniard from the top.

The different serve, the way he manages the point, his confidence at the net, his ease in choosing to drop shots: everything has improved and changed. You learn with experience, obviously. But it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of study, a lot of dedication on his part. Jannik has a great desire to learn. To always improve.

Simone Vagnozzi added

Sinner comfortably sits on top with 13,450 points. Alexander Zverev, after his win at the French Open and defeat in the Wimbledon final to Sinner, removed the seven-time Grand Slam champion from the second spot. Zverev and Alcaraz have 8,480 and 8,160 points, respectively.

Simone Vagnozzi on Jannik Sinner’s mental training

Jannik Sinner is not someone who shows his emotions while playing. He instead remains ultra-focused, but he has often said that even though he looks calm on the outside, there’s a “storm” inside him, describing his emotional turmoil. During that aforementioned interview with Corriere dello Sport, Simone Vagnozzi talked about Sinner’s winning mindset.

It all starts with attitude, openness, the desire to improve. Sure, you have to learn to drop shots or go to the net at the right time. But first, you have to find the courage to do it, the courage to make mistakes, even to fail. A lot of it is in the mind. We’re fortunate that Jannik has a very strong foundation of mental strength, and we’ve simply tried to multiply this virtue.

Sinner was last seen in action in the final of Wimbledon. He won’t be competing at the Canadian Open, which he won back in 2023. Sinner will be skipping the sixth Masters 1000 of the season for the second time in a row.

He is expected to be back for the Cincinnati Masters, where last year he handed the walkover to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Because Sinner withdrew from the Montreal event, he missed a chance to bid for the Golden Masters as he lifted the first five tournaments of this category this season.

After Cincinnati, the tennis world’s focus will shift toward the biggest tournament of the North American hardcourt swing: the US Open. The five-time Grand Slam champion failed to defend his title last year, losing in four sets to Alcaraz. In 2024, he breezed past home favorite Taylor Fritz in the final. The Wimbledon title was Sinner’s sixth title of the season.

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