Q. Is there a quality of Sinner that we don't know about?
DARREN CAHILL: He's incredibly curious. When he's in a group, everyone wants to know something from him, but he eventually finds a way to turn the tables and bombard them with questions, whether it's about sports or life, how to handle pressure, girlfriends, or anything else. He wants to learn from people who've been through experiences he'll likely have in the future. He wants to be prepared ahead of time.
Q. They say he's a robot. Is that really true?
DARREN CAHILL: Not at all. There's a part of him that loves danger and that's not seen much on the court, because when he's in a match he has this internal computer that's constantly working, and there's a certain confidence in the way he plays. He calculates the probability of winning the point by choosing a certain shot with the least risk, and that's the hallmark of a winning player. In life, however, it's not quite like that. He loves car racing, speed. He loves adrenaline. But these two souls come together in a single, incredibly professional player: training, nutrition, rest, he tries to step onto the court every time with the goal of growing and improving. That's why he's a champion.
Q. Is that why he manages to come back stronger after every difficult moment? After the Roland Garros defeat, he won Wimbledon; after the disappointment in Australia, he never stopped...
DARREN CAHILL: He has a special talent that we coaches can't teach. It's an inner drive that makes him want to learn from every situation. Jannik doesn't just learn from defeats, but also a lot from victories, because it's essential to 'go to school' in every tennis match. Win or lose, he looks at everything through the same lens: 'How can I improve today?'. That's his strength.
Q. How does working in pairs with Simone Vagnozzi work?
DARREN CAHILL: Simone is the main coach. I think the reason our relationship works so well is that our roles are fairly well-defined, yet intertwined in many ways. Simone and I discuss everything about Jannik, both technically and emotionally. He tries to learn from me in some areas, and I'm learning from him in many others, because he has an incredible technical eye, better than mine. He can see technical aspects of the game that very few coaches can. And he sees them very early, very clearly. But above all, he manages to convey them to the player so he can understand them and put them into practice.
Q. What is the added value of your colleague?
DARREN CAHILL: Simone has been extraordinary in the small changes he's made to Jannik's game. The serve is the most obvious example, and the data confirms the work they've done on this shot, now one of the best on tour. Simone is a special coach. He knows how to choose the right moment to convey a message to Jannik: he knows when he wants to hear something and when he should let him solve his problems on his own. Simone is the voice.
Q. Vagnozzi told us he was the "bad cop" and that you were the good cop. Do you confirm that?
DARREN CAHILL: No, no (laughs). He's the one who has to deliver messages in times of pressure, so yes, that can be more difficult than my role. I have to take care of the team culture and make sure everyone communicates well. Each of us knows our role and the goal we're working towards. I think that's our strength, and what gives Sinner great peace of mind.
