“Don't think anybody should be comparing this generation with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal” - Jannik Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill

According to Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill, it is unfair to compare the current generation of tennis players with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.

Cahill joined hands with Jannik Sinner in July of 2022, carrying with him the experience of coaching Grand Slam winners such as Simona Halep, Andre Agassi, and Lleyton Hewitt.

Cahill's pupil Sinner recently won the third trophy of his 2024 season at the Miami Open after triumphing at the Australian Open and Rotterdam Open. He got the better of Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-1 in the Miami final to earn his second Masters 1000 title and also take his win-loss tally to 22-1 for the year.

In his campaign at Miami, Sinner ran through opponents and laid hands on the trophy losing only one set in the process.

Hence, Cahill was asked by a journalist during the post-match presser if he could trace any similarities between Jannik Sinner's dominance and that of the previous generation of players including Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and also his ex-students.

"Well, I don't think anybody should be comparing this generation yet with Novak, Federer, Nadal. What they were able to achieve for so many years is remarkable. I don't think we will ever see that domination again no matter what," Cahill replied.

Cahill claimed that even though the current lot of tennis athletes is talented, they need to get more trophies under their belt as a prerequisite to be compared to the previous generation of players.

"I wouldn't start comparing what Carlos or Jannik or Holger are doing just yet to the generation prior, because I think that's unfair. They need time to establish themselves. The level is right up there, but they need to win a lot more before you start comparing them to those boys," he said.

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"Finish to the year last year helped Jannik Sinner a lot" - Darren Cahill

Jannik Sinner

It has only been three months since the turn of the year and Jannik Sinner has won a Grand Slam, an ATP 500, and a Masters 1000 already. His coach Darren Cahill believes his current form has a lot to do with how he ended the previous season.

"Finish to the year last year helped him a lot. He [Jannik Sinner] has matured a lot in the last 12 months. I think doing what he did in Turin [ATP Finals] getting through to the final, and winning Davis Cup for Italy was a huge moment for him. He was able to carry that belief through to the Australian Open," Cahill said during the aforementioned presser.

All three of the Sinner's campaigns that Cahill mentioned in his statement interestingly include at least one victory over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. He defeated the Serb in a round-robin match at the ATP Finals before losing to him in the summit clash.

At the Davis Cup, the World No. 2 defeated Djokovic in a singles encounter in Italy's semifinal tie against Serbia and then prevailed in the semifinals at the Australian Open 2024 as well.