|
13 Jul 2025 | 23.29
Jannik Sinner smiled and celebrated once again on a tennis court. After the painful defeat in the Roland Garros final, where he had three match points to claim the title, the Italian did not let himself down, accepted what happened, and moved forward. And from that process emerged the number one version at this Wimbledon, where he lifted the trophy after avenging the Spanish opponent.
The main architects of this mental resurgence in Sinner are his two coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi. The Australian and the Italian appeared in the press conference after their pupil's success and discussed the beautiful rivalry against Alcaraz, Dimitrov's misfortune that aided the number one, and above all, how they helped him overcome the Roland Garros defeat.
Dimitrov's injury saved the day
CAHILL: "It was a tremendous challenge for us, really, because he had a chance, no doubt. He was digging in during that match. In a best-of-five, you never know what will happen. In the coach's box, we kept believing he would get out of that hole, and we felt he was starting to play the way we wanted. But anything can happen on grass. The way Grigor was playing, if he continued at that level, then yes, he had a good chance to close it out. But in the coach's box, we always had faith that he would come out on top of that match."
"We kept telling him that Grand Slams, in men's tennis, are seven matches, best of five. Nobody gets through a tournament without a hitch, whether it's an injury, a stroke of luck, or dodging a problem at the beginning of the round. Everyone has a story in a Grand Slam. Maybe this was going to be his story. So you have to take it for what it is, put it aside, and focus on your next opponent. If you beat the next opponent, you move forward and make the most of it. He does that. It's the same way he faced his defeat at Roland Garros. He saw it for what it was, understood that he had played an incredible match at Roland Garros. In the end, he was defeated by a better player. He never played a better match on clay than the one he played there. So he knew he was improving as a tennis player and was able to put it aside and focus on the next day. It's a pretty rare quality to have. It's a great effort from Jannik."
About Sinner's mental recovery
VAGNOZZI: "It was tough, no doubt. After Paris, it was tough. But we talked a lot. We talked about how proud we were of what he had done in Paris. We came here with every intention of having a good tournament. He started really well. The previous week, he had trained very well, so we trusted that he could have a good tournament here. But what is certain is that his mental strength is very strong. We are lucky to work with a guy like him, who steps onto the court every day with the right mentality, with a good attitude. We are very proud of him."
The need to break the negative streak against Alcaraz
CAHILL: "Today was important to win for many, many reasons. Carlos has dominated him in their last five matches. They have played amazing matches, and Jannik had opportunities in perhaps four out of five matches they played to beat him. He hadn't been able to get the win. So today was important not only because it was a Grand Slam final, not only because it was Wimbledon, and not only because Carlos had won the last five matches against him. Today he needed that victory. So he was aware of the importance of closing the match when he had the chance. That's why I think we saw a bit more energy in crucial moments and a bit more focus to tighten his grip and make sure that when he had the match under control, he kept closing the door on Carlos. Today, he did an incredible job."
Sinner's mobility, a key factor in his success
VAGNOZZI: "Jannik moves very well. He can slide on grass, just like on clay. He has great ball synchronization, so he can play from the baseline like on hard courts. In the last three years, he has significantly improved his serve. Today, I think he played a very, very good match with his serve, especially with the second serve. He's less vulnerable than before. Today, he made good variations with drop shots, coming to the net. Probably, in the first two sets, he wasn't very effective at the net, but then he continued to be brave. And I think that's why he took the title today."
Sinner, obsessed with Alcaraz
CAHILL: "I would say we are preparing him for everyone, not just for one player. Because if you prepare someone for a single player, other players are going to slip through and cause you huge problems. Nowadays, there are so many variations of playing styles. The way he played today against Carlos won't work against Ben Shelton or Alexander Zverev. So you have to prepare a player to face all kinds of possibilities. But Carlos is a major focus, and both are pushing each other. I would say Jannik watches more matches of Carlos than any other because he's fascinated by the improvements happening in his game, and he pushes us as coaches to make sure he also improves as a tennis player. So the rivalry is real. It exists. And hopefully, it will continue for the next 10 or 12 years."
The initial steps after the defeat in Paris
CAHILL: "We didn't talk about Roland Garros in the first 24 hours after the match because the way he played, the attitude he had on the court, the effort he put in, was flawless, and in the end, he was defeated by a better player. We talked a bit about his game, maybe being a bit braver in crucial moments. But beyond that, I know we keep repeating it, but we couldn't be prouder of how he played in Paris. It was important for us to move forward as quickly as possible. And as Simone said, we have been with him for three, three and a half years."
"The week before Wimbledon was the best training week we've had with him in terms of attitude, in terms of shape. We knew we had something special ahead, but there were still two weeks to go, right? It was Sunday, and the tournament started on Monday. You have 14 days to prepare, and he was ready from the opening round, ready to start. We knew he had left that behind. He came here and played with a real purpose. I think it was evident from the first match he played that he didn't carry any baggage from Roland Garros. That's not easy. It's easy for us to say it in words, put it aside, but for the player to shed it and come here with the mindset he had, it's 100% to his credit."
Praising their pupil
CAHILL: "It's a very good question, and a question that will be hard for us to answer, because I wouldn't have gotten over it. I think for most normal athletes who reach that position and have 0-40, 5-3 in the fourth set, match points to win Roland Garros, and certainly his year has been... I don't know the right word to summarize it, but it has been a challenge for all involved. So to put himself in that position and lose it, yes, it's a quality he has as a person, and I say again, I talk about his parents all the time and his upbringing and his down-to-earth education and the way he treats the people around him. He's a good man. He's a good young man. He always has a smile on his face. The person you see on the tennis court, so focused, so attentive to details, is not the same off the court. He's a fun guy who jokes all the time and loves the company of the people around him. But he has a mentality on the tennis court that is special, and that's why he and Carlos are doing what they're doing".
About the new era of tennis with Alcaraz and Sinner
CAHILL: "The Roland Garros final, I think, was one of the best matches I've seen in the 25 years I've been a coach and a player. There have been great matches, of course, but that was special. The first game lasted 12 minutes at Roland Garros. So we had five sets of that drama. It was one of the best matches of all time. I think the rivalry is already amazing, and I think it can get better if these two players push each other. I think there are other younger players who will come through, so it won't be just a show of two men. There will be other players, which we also hope for and are excited about. But it's hard to compare this rivalry to the one we just witnessed".
"It has been a golden age in tennis with Novak and Roger and Rafa and Andy. They dominated for 20 years. Incredibly selfish, winning all those Grand Slams. To win a Grand Slam in those days, you had to beat one of them in the quarters, the other in the semis, and another in the final. These boys still have a long way to go, but they've started incredibly well. I keep my fingers crossed that they have 10 or 15 great years ahead, and that they have more amazing matches. But I'm not going to compare them yet to what we have just seen".
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Cahill y Vagnozzi: "Sinner necesitaba esta victoria"
-
29 May 2026 | 21:00The future is now -
29 May 2026 | 18:00Jódar: "I Learn a Lot from Matches Like This" -
30 May 2026 | 10:00Jil Teichmann and her incredible story: "I didn't touch the racket for months" -
29 May 2026 | 14:00Jódar graduates at Roland Garros with an incredible victory over Michelsen -
30 May 2026 | 00:00Mensik recounts his miraculous recovery from extreme cramps
