Jannik Sinner has officially added two men who worked with Novak Djokovic to his team after hiring the Serbian's former fitness coach and physiotherapist.
After what Sinner has achieved this season, many players would rest on their laurels somewhat. His outstanding level means he sits at No. 1 in the rankings, comfortably ahead of Alexander Zverev in No. 2.
However, Sinner not becoming complacent after his excellent 2024 is unsurprising. The 23-year-old demonstrated his elite mentality at the US Open after a turbulent period heading into the tournament.
Few thought Sinner had a chance of winning the title at Flushing Meadows after news of his two positive tests for the banned substance clostebol became public a few days before the year's final Grand Slam began.
Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing and avoided a ban. However, many were unhappy that the case was kept private for five months while the ITIA investigated, feeling it was unfair to other accused players.
When the Italian began his US Open campaign, the story was still being discussed. Managing that attention and continuing to perform well on the court presented a stiff challenge for this year's Australian Open winner.
But it was a challenge the world No. 1 passed with flying colors. Sinner became the US Open champion after beating Taylor Fritz in a one-sided final, securing his second Grand Slam title in the process.
Figures such as Toni Nadal praised Sinner's temperament after overcoming pre-tournament adversity to reign supreme in New York. He confirmed how strong his mentality was throughout his run at Flushing Meadows.
Despite becoming the US Open champion, Sinner felt his performance against Fritz was not perfect. His desire to improve has been proven by his decision to work with two former members of Djokovic's team.
Sinner's partnership with the Serbian's former fitness coach, Marco Panichi, was confirmed a few days ago. Panichi worked with Djokovic from 2019 until April of this year, when the 24-time Grand Slam champion split from him.
The move shocked many in the tennis world. Panichi played a crucial role in Djokovic's incredible longevity, helping him to win several Grand Slams during his time in the former world No. 1's team.
Although success is never guaranteed, Sinner's hiring of Panichi seems like an astute move. The experienced Italian has been involved in the sport for over 30 years and worked with several players before Djokovic.
Physiotherapist Ulises Badio is the other former Djokovic team member who joined Sinner. He worked alongside the 10-time Australian Open winner for five years until choosing to leave at the end of the 2022 season.
Badio is also highly regarded in the tennis world. Panichi and Badio's presence to help Sinner improve is an exciting prospect for his fans, and observing his progress with them by his side will be interesting.
Sinner announced the move on social media. His short post about it simply welcomed the duo to his team. Their name recognition meant the US Open champion probably did not feel he needed to elaborate any further.
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