Former world No. 1 reveals why he rejected offer to coach Jannik Sinner
NewsWednesday, 05 November 2025 at 17:52
Jannik Sinner shares one of the closest player-coach relationships ever seen in tennis with Darren Cahill, but he might never have worked with him had former ATP world No. 1 accepted the role first.
Cahill was already among the highest-rated coaches worldwide before he joined Sinner's team. The Australian helped Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Simona Halep to win Grand Slam titles with his expert insights.
Boris Becker also proved himself a capable coach during his spell with Novak Djokovic from December 2013 to December 2016. The Serbian secured six of his 24 Grand Slams with Becker, including three during an incredible 2015 season.
Although Djokovic is now the statistically most successful player ever, Becker's work with him should not be demeaned. The former ATP world No. 1 had lost four of his previous five major finals before the German helped him become dominant again.
Becker's other coaching stint was a brief spell with Holger Rune that ended in early 2024 after a few months. The six-time Grand Slam champion realized he could not commit to the traveling required for the role.
It has now been revealed that Becker could have coached Sinner in 2022. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, the 57-year-old said his bankruptcy case made it impossible, but he recommended a few coaches, including Cahill.
"I thought it was a secret… I never talked about it. It’s true. Two months later, I was waiting for the London ruling (in his bankruptcy case). I told Jannik: I don’t know how it’ll end, I can’t make the commitment. But I didn’t want to leave him stranded, so I gave him a couple of names: one was Darren Cahill. For me, the best."
On April 8th, 2022, Becker was found guilty of failing to hand over assets and trophies worth £2.5 million to repay debt from his bankruptcy. He received a 30-month prison sentence but served only eight months before being released.
Although Becker undoubtedly acted wrongly in his bankruptcy case and was punished for it, he deserves credit for considering Sinner's best interests and not harming his reputation by taking the coaching job when a prison sentence was possible.
Sinner later went through much stress with his high-profile doping case, ultimately serving a three-month suspension. Appointing a coach who had been to prison before would have drawn even more negative attention.
There were rumors about Becker coaching Alexander Zverev
Zverev used to share a good relationship with Becker, and he seemed like a good coaching fit since they are both German. Many have been calling for Zverev to appoint a coach with experience of winning Grand Slams after years of working with his father.
Their relationship has since broken down. Becker made some fiercely critical comments about Zverev and his mentality, which angered the Olympic Gold Medalist. He claims not to know why Becker does not like him much anymore.
Zverev worked with Toni Nadal after the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, sparking rumors that he would become his coach. However, Nadal's role at his nephew Rafael's academy makes it challenging.
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