‘No variation': How Novak Djokovic's ruthless feedback helped Jannik Sinner turn around his game

Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill has revealed how it was Novak Djokovic who helped turnaround Sinner's game in 2022 with his honest feedback. Djokovic had told Cahill that Sinner has 'no variation', 'no height over the net', 'doesn't try to bring me to net' and 'not attacking my serve'.
It was Cahill who had sought out the Serbian star after Djokovic had beat Sinner in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Wimbledon, around the time he had joined Sinner's coaching team. Djokovic had beaten Sinner 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Cahill decided to approach Djokovic for his views.
'Hits the ball great, but there's no variation. So you know, there's no shape on his shot. There's no height over the net. Doesn't come to the net. He's not trying to bring me in, I know that he returns well, but he's not attacking my serve on the return of serve,' Cahill recalled the feedback on the podcast 'Served with Andy Roddick'.
'Novak got used to his ball, got used to the shape, got used to the pace and then just locked in, like Novak does, and doesn't miss. And won the last three sets reasonably easily,' Cahill says about that 2022 match. 'And I saw Novak, and he's always great with this, he's always been incredible when you tap him on the shoulder. And I said, 'Hey listen, I've just started with Jannik, don't tell me anything you don't want to tell me, but can I ask what you were feeling out there?' And he was incredible.'
Cahill then took the feedback to Sinner who was inspired to change his game. 'So he went through his whole game and broke it down. It wasn't like it was revelations to what we didn't know about Jannik and what we were trying to change in his game.
'But when you take that conversation and sit down with a young man like Jannik Sinner and say,' Hey, listen, I just spoke to Novak and this is what he thinks', that leaves a big impression on a young player. So for Jannik it's: 'Right, give it to me. Let's start doing these changes'.'
Sinner's ranking at the end of that year 2022 was 15; he is now world no.1.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Indian Express

2 hours ago

• Indian Express

‘Dust And Glory': Jannik Sinner releases first duet with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli

His difficult couple of weeks on court notwithstanding, world no. 1 Jannik Sinner has ditched the tennis racquet for the microphone to release his first duet in collaboration with Italian compatriot and revered tenor, Andrea Bocelli. Titled 'Polvere e Gloria', translated as Dust And Glory, the song has the 23-year-old Sinner repeat sequences of his winning and losing speeches, which he recorded at Bocelli's studio in Tuscany. The visuals of the track include scenes from the recording session at Bocelli's as well as archival images from the duo's childhoods. Comprising both Italian and English lyrics, the song is being described as a 'musical dialogue between two Italian icons', mixing storytelling and the tenor's opera. 'I am very happy and honoured to be part of this project with Andrea, who for 30 years has been a unique and extraordinary voice, a flag for our country in the rest of the world,' Sinner said. 'I could never have imagined hearing my voice in one of his songs. It's extremely moving,' he added of the song that exhibits the distinct journeys of the two Italians to the top of their respective professions. Blind since a football incident when he was 12, the 66-year-old Bocelli has forayed into sport before. For former England striker Gary Lineker's final Match of the Day show on the BBC in May, Bocelli recorded a special goodbye message and sang 'Con Te Partiro' to close the show. Additionally, he stood with former Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri at the King Power Stadium, performing 'Nessun Dorma' as the Foxes celebrated their 2015/16 Premier League title win. Meanwhile, Sinner is coming off a shock R16 defeat to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik at the Halle Open, the grass-court event where he was the reigning champion. Sinner, who lost to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in an epic French Open final earlier this month, said the early defeat offered him a good chance to rest and reset for Wimbledon, beginning June 30. 'I have to accept what happened. I'm now going to have a few days rest before Wimbledon, which are going to do me good' said Sinner. 'Honestly a little break is going to do me good,' the 23-year-old told Sky Italia. 'I came here (to Halle), I gave it my all after the Roland Garros defeat, it wasn't easy,' he added.

Time of India

4 hours ago

• Time of India

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka saves four match points in epic comeback at Berlin Open; Carlos Alcaraz enters Queen's semis

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka pulled off a thrilling comeback to reach the semi-finals at the Berlin Open on Friday, saving four match points to defeat 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka trailed 6-2 in the final set tie-break but won six straight points to seal a 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 7-6 (8/6) win after two hours and 42 minutes of intense battle. The Belarusian, now into her eighth semi-final of the season, will face 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova next. Vondrousova advanced with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win over Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, a rematch of their Wimbledon final last year. The Czech, who has struggled with injuries and dropped to world No. 164, will be playing her first semi-final since April. In the other Berlin semi-final, China's Wang Xinyu will face Russia's Liudmila Samsonova. Wang advanced after Paula Badosa retired hurt following a 6-1 first-set loss. Samsonova crushed Amanda Anisimova 6-1, 6-1, continuing her impressive run which included wins over Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula. Meanwhile, at Queen's Club, Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 16 matches with a composed 7-5, 6-4 win over Arthur Rinderknech. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 오스템 임플란트 받아가세요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo The French Open champion, now in the semi-finals, will face fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Holger Rune in three sets. British No. 1 Jack Draper also made headlines, reaching the Queen's semi-finals for the first time with a gritty 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Brandon Nakashima. Draper's run will push him to a career-high world ranking of No. 4, ensuring he avoids top seeds Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner until the Wimbledon semis. Draper will next face Czech Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Jacob Fearnley in straight sets. With major names battling it out on both grass courts, the stage is set for a thrilling run-up to Wimbledon. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here

Hindustan Times

11 hours ago

• Hindustan Times

Tennis-Alcaraz speeds past Rinderknech at Queen's, Draper downs Nakashima

By Martyn Herman HT Image LONDON (Reuters) -Carlos Alcaraz avoided another scare at the Queen's Club ATP 500 event as the top-seeded Spaniard dispatched France's Arthur Rinderknech with little fuss 7-5 6-4 to reach the semi-finals on Friday. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz toiled for three hours in stifling heat on Thursday to edge past fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in a titanic scrap and afterwards admitted he did not know how he was still standing. It was far more straightforward against unseeded Rinderknech, the player he also beat in his opening match two years ago when he went on to win the title at the prestigious Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. The 22-year-old converted each of his two break points as he extended his sequence of match wins to a career-long 16. "I could be better (physically). Honestly I was thinking I was going to feel much worse than I did today," five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz said on court. "I'm glad it was only one hour 20 minutes today." Alcaraz will face another Spaniard in the semi-final after Roberto Bautista Agut defeated fourth seed Holger Rune 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-2, the 37-year-old's first win over the Dane in four meetings. Rune failed to force a single break point, but managed to save 12 of 14 himself to take Bautista Agut to a deciding set, where the Spaniard finally broke twice. Britain's Jack Draper continued his Wimbledon build-up as he reached the semi-finals at Queen's for the first time with a 6-4 5-7 6-4 defeat of American Brandon Nakashima. Draper not only kept himself on track for the prestigious ATP 500 title, but also secured the win that guarantees a top-four seeding at Wimbledon where he will be the big home hope. The 23-year-old was fully tested by world number 32 Nakashima and his powerful game began to misfire as he lost the second set on a baking hot day on Andy Murray Arena. But Draper settled back into the groove in the deciding set and broke serve in the seventh game with one of his trademark forehand pile drivers. The left-hander had to save a break point when serving for the match at 5-4 but recovered to seal victory and set up a clash with Czech Jiri Lehecka who had earlier beaten Britain's Jacob Fearnley 7-5 6-2. "It means the world to me to reach the semi-finals here," Draper, bidding to become the first British player to win the title at the prestigious west London club since Murray won for a record fifth time in 2016. "I think there's going to be an even bigger buzz at the weekend and that will give me more energy to keep progressing." While being ranked fourth means Draper will avoid either defending champion Alcaraz or world number one Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Draper shrugged off the significance of that when asked about it. "I kept getting asked about that by the journalists but I've got to reach the semi-finals first," he said. "But it is an incredible position. I was at Wimbledon last year ranked 40 so to go there as fourth seed is a testament to all the hard work my team has done, so very proud of that." (Reporting by Martyn Herman, additional reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Toby Davis)