Jannik Sinner, Vagnozzi’s background and secrets: "It wasn’t like that"
Simone Vagnozzi gave a long interview to SportWeek to talk, of course, about Jannik Sinner, whose coach he has been since 2022: “It’s amazing what he’s doing. The secret of our team is that we don’t do this work because we are with the No. 1 in the world but because it is our passion.”
The blue coach also told how he builds such a high-level season: “We always start with an ideal calendar, made at the beginning of the year. But then during the season you have to adapt. An early defeat can change the plans, just as a series of wins can lead you to skip a tournament. You have to understand how Jannik is doing physically and also mentally: sometimes you may need a few days of rest and so we will take a 3-week break after Roland Garros and then go straight back to Wimbledon.”
Asked whether Sinner is trying to make up for lost time last year, Vagnozzi replied as follows, “I don’t think that’s the point. Jannik always went into every tournament with the idea of doing the best he could. The motivation was to win a big tournament on clay, prepare himself well for the rest of the season on red, and get back to number one. But he already has a strong motivation inside him without the need for external stimulation.”
Among the rivals who have contributed to the growth of the blue champion is Carlos Alcaraz: “Carlos puts you in front of difficulties that force you to work. When an opponent bothers you on a ball or a situation, you have to find solutions. It happened with Medvedev, with Djokovic, with all the greats. Champions push you to improve.”
On the relationship with the media, the coach calls for balance: “There are things you read and you like, others that bother you. The important thing is not to be influenced and to stay on the right path.” He adds, “In 2022, when we started, the question was, will he ever win a Slam? Will he ever become number one? It was said that Rune was further along. Now that Jannik has made it it seems like it was all normal, already written. But it wasn’t like that.”
For Vagnozzi, Sinner today represents much more than a champion: “Jannik is proud to represent Italy and I think he does it in the best way. He gives an important example to kids: respect, education, right values. He is a normal 24-year-old boy. He likes to have fun, to be with friends. When he is on the field he is very serious, but outside he is a joyful boy.”
