Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, the two central pillars in Jannik Sinner's coaching team, have won the 2023 ATP Coach of the Year Award.
The pair are credited and recognized for their immense contribution to turning Sinner into an elite athlete. Last season, the Italian cracked many landmarks in his burgeoning young career, chief among them winning his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto.
Sinner equaled the previous best ranking of an Italian player on the ATP Tour (Adriano Panatta) by becoming World No. 4 for the first time at the start of October after defeating Daniil Medvedev to win the China Open in Beijing.
Overall, the 22-year-old won four ATP singles titles last season, the most he has managed in a single season and on par with his previous career-best year in 2021. Sinner was also an influential member of the Italian team that won its first Davis Cup title in 47 years last month in Malaga.
A key reason why the world's top tennis players succeed consistently is having an excellent coaching setup. They know exactly what needs to be done to improve their games. And this explains why Sinner has gone for two of the foremost tennis minds he could have.
Sinner has worked with his compatriot Simone Vagnozzi on a full-time basis since he suddenly split with Riccardo Piatti in February 2022. Vagnozzi, a former ATP pro, was already a full-time coach when Cahill joined during the summer of 2022.
The Australian has been entrusted with the mental side of things. Thanks to his experience coaching top players like Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray, and Simona Halep, he has been instrumental in steering Sinner to double-digit Top 10 victories.
Sinner was crowned as the ATP Fans' Favorite Singles Player and told ATPTour.com earlier this year he was "lucky" to have such a wonderful coaching setup with two people who have massively improved the way he is playing.
"I would describe my team as nice people, happy people. Everyone knows very well what he has to do. I feel good with them and lucky to have them, so I think it is a very good team."
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