Jannik Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, believes the Italian is producing his best-ever tennis on clay at Roland Garros based on analytics. However, he maintains that Sinner has shown even better overall form at other times in his career.
Sinner is set to face 24 time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros semi-finals at 3am AEST on Saturday. The winner will meet either Carlos Alcaraz or Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
Sinner, currently the world No.1, has a 4-4 head-to-head record against Djokovic and has defeated him in four of their last five encounters, including their Australian Open semi-final earlier this year. At 23, he is 15 years younger than Djokovic, who is 38.
Having won the Australian Open, Sinner is now 3-0 in Grand Slam finals and has reached the Roland Garros semis without losing a set. His dominance was highlighted by Alexander Bublik, who called Sinner “from another dimension” after a straight-sets loss in the quarter-finals.
Cahill praised Sinner’s current level but stopped short of calling it his best.
“He played well here last year too, pushing Alcaraz to five sets in the semis,” Cahill told Stan Sport. “We analyze the data closely he’s hitting harder, with more spin and precision, taking control of points better than before. So statistically, it’s his best clay form. But overall, I’ve seen him play better tennis.”
Cahill noted that Sinner hadn’t played many tournaments recently but has shown steady improvement through the rounds. “His efficiency has been key he’s conserved energy and enters the semi-final in peak condition.”
While Sinner has coasted through matches, Djokovic needed four sets to win his quarter-final, as did Musetti. Alcaraz and Sinner, by contrast, won their matches in straight sets, conserving stamina.
Cahill acknowledged Djokovic’s underappreciated serving skills, emphasizing that Sinner must seize scoring opportunities quickly to avoid long rallies. “If you let Novak extend rallies, it gets tough. Jannik has to stay aggressive.”
Sinner, who has won three of the last five Slams, including the 2023 US Open and 2024 Australian Open, now holds a 19 match Grand Slam win streak and hasn’t dropped a set in his last 26 major sets.
Djokovic, meanwhile, won his 100th career title before this tournament but had early exits in several events earlier in the year, raising fitness concerns. Nonetheless, he has lost only one set at Roland Garros so far.
“The win against Alcaraz in Australia and Zverev recently reassures me and others that I’m still capable at the top level,” Djokovic said. “Matches like these against the world No.1 in a Slam semi-final bring out the best in me. This is what drives me, even at this stage of my career.”
Be the first to comment