Andy Roddick explains why Andy Murray would have been ‘perfect’ training partner for Jannik Sinner during doping ban

Andy Roddick backed Andy Murray to be Jannik Sinner's trainer partner but the Scot is coaching Novak Djokovic.

Andy Roddick explains why Andy Murray would have been ‘perfect’ training partner for Jannik Sinner during doping ban

Jannik Sinner, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray (Image via X/#AusOpen, Wimbledon)

Jannik Sinner will be playing his first match in three months at the Italian Open, which starts on May 7. So far in the season, Sinner had participated at the Australian Open where he defended his crown by breezing past World No.2 Alexander Zverev in the final.

Sinner will be making his return without match practice and this could pose a problem for him as the Italian Open is a clay-court event and the World No.1 has won just one title on the surface (2022 Umag Open). Former ATP pro Andy Roddick said that if he were Sinner, he would have asked Andy Murray to be his training partner during the ban.

Weirdly, if I was Sinner, the perfect person to maybe have brought in for two weeks at a time or four weeks at a time during this suspension, someone who can still play at a top 50 or 60 level, would have been someone like Andy Murray.

Andy Roddick said on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast

Murray retired at the Paris Olympics last year and in less than four months, he joined Novak Djokovic‘s entourage as his coach. The Scot is not a part of Djokovic’s team in the ongoing Monte Carlo Masters but had guided the Serb to the Miami Open final last month.

Fresh off tour, can hit a big ball, can play extended points. I have got to think that as soon as this comes down, my mind would have automatically gone – and we don’t know what he is doing, it is very private – but I would have gone instantly to go and find people who were borderline top 100 who had retired in the last six months.

Andy Roddick added

Following his home tournament, Sinner will be participating in the Hamburg European Open, before starting his bid for his first French Open title. Sinner had skipped the Italian Open last year due to an injury.

Last year at Roland Garros, Sinner was defeated by eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in the semifinal. He played three tournaments overall on clay and though he was unsuccessful in lifting the title, he made deep runs in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Paris.

Riccardo Piatti backed Jannik Sinner to win the Calendar Grand Slam

Jannik Sinner‘s former coach Riccardo Piatti has made a bold prediction about him. Piatti, who coached the three-time Grand Slam champion from the age of 13 to 20, has backed him to win all the Grand Slam titles this season.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

I was tough with him, it was my role: it helped him get to the top. In Rome, he will return from the break stronger than before. For me, he can do the Grand Slam.

Riccardo Piatti told Corriere della Sera

Sinner now works with Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, both of who joined his team in 2022, and under them, he lifted his Grand Slam titles and became the World No.1. Cahill has decided to retire after this season. Despite Piatti’s claim, it’s important to note that Sinner has only achieved impressive feats on hard courts.

Sinner took home his first Major title of his career at the Australian Open and doubled the tally when he lifted the US Open. The World No.1 then defended the Australian Open this season.

Sinner has never progressed to the French Open final and at Wimbledon too, he was the semifinalist in 2023. Last year at Wimbledon, Sinner suffered a five-set defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Just before the grass-court Grand Slam event, Sinner won the Halle Open, which was his career’s first title on grass.