Jannik Sinner‘s quest to win his fifth career Grand Slam title at the 2025 US Open just got a little trickier. He’s going to have to compete without one of his coaches.
The 23-year-old Italian has been pretty much unstoppable on hard courts lately. He’s won every major on that surface since the start of 2024.
Sinner’s a two-time Australian Open champion now, winning back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. He’s trying to pull off the same double at the US Open, where he claimed his first title there last year.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
That 2024 US Open was only his second career major. Now he’s already going for number five.
He’s won 20 out of 21 matches at Grand Slam level this year. That’s the kind of dominance you don’t see very often.
But this time around, Sinner’s dealing with some challenges as he heads to New York. Last year, it was questions about his doping case swirling around him. This year, it’s different issues affecting his preparation.
Limited Prep Time
The world No. 1 has already withdrawn from the upcoming Canadian Open in Toronto. That means he’ll only have one tournament to get ready for the US Open.
For a player who likes to be thoroughly prepared, that’s not ideal timing.
On top of that, Sinner will have to compete without Darren Cahill, one of his two coaches. Like Carlos Alcaraz and some other top players, the Italian works with a two-coach system – Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi.
Usually both coaches travel with him to the big tournaments.
But according to Italian publication La Repubblica, Cahill won’t be making the trip to the United States. Instead, the 59-year-old Australian is taking a short break.
Testing New Setup
This arrangement in New York might actually serve as a test run for Sinner’s team. In 2026, Cahill isn’t expected to be a permanent part of the setup, though he’ll likely remain involved in some capacity.
The coaching situation has been evolving for a while now.
Initially, Cahill said he’d end his coaching career after this season. But after Sinner’s Wimbledon victory, they’ve had more conversations about that decision and made some adjustments to the original plan.
Based on the latest reports, Cahill should be present for the 2026 Australian Open. He’ll probably stay connected to the team after that too, just on a more remote basis rather than traveling to every tournament.
Proven Under Pressure
If there’s one thing Sinner has shown throughout his career, it’s that he can handle pressure and unexpected challenges. The media scrutiny around his doping case could have derailed a lot of players, but it didn’t seem to bother him at all.
So there probably shouldn’t be too much worry about his performance in New York without Cahill by his side.
According to the same La Repubblica report, Sinner has already gotten back to practice in Monte Carlo. He took some time off after Wimbledon to recover from the tournament, which he won despite dealing with an injured right elbow.
That’s the kind of toughness that has made him so successful on the big stages. Playing through pain at Wimbledon and still managing to win the whole thing? That’s pretty impressive stuff.
The 2025 US Open will definitely be interesting to watch. Can Sinner adapt to competing with just one coach? Will the limited preparation time affect his game?
Given his track record on hard courts and his ability to rise to the occasion, it’s hard to bet against him. Even with these obstacles in his path.
