Jannik Sinner doesn’t put down his racket even on a cruise, but it ends badly
Jannik Sinner can’t even put his racket away in his bag while on vacation—on a cruise, to be exact. Traveling aboard the Explora III with his trusted coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, however, the No. 1 player in the ATP rankings chose a padel racket over his tennis racket. And, for once, things didn’t go his way. But the result, which immediately went viral online, drew nothing but smiles of amusement and respect for the champion from Sesto Pusteria.
In a short video posted by the ‘Explora Journeys’ channel on Instagram, we see a relaxed but, as always, focused Sinner exchanging a few rallies with his coaches. His “muscle memory,” however, betrays him: a forehand acceleration that’s more effective in tennis than in padel allows Cahill to respond with a shot that hits a surprised Jannik squarely. For once, he’s “hit hard”: fortunately, this happens only when nothing is at stake—neither advancing to the next round nor even a single point in the ATP rankings.
After all, this cruise represents a well-deserved break and, above all, one carefully planned by his staff. Sinner has, in fact, opted out of the Montreal Masters 1000—for the second consecutive year—to prioritize his personal well-being. After his victory at Wimbledon—his second consecutive title at the Championships and fifth career Grand Slam—the world No. 1 chose to recharge his batteries ahead of his true late-summer goal: the U.S. Open. His appearance in Cincinnati, used as a warm-up tournament for the year’s final Grand Slam, is already in his sights.
The fact that Cahill and Vagnozzi are by his side even on vacation shows just how much the team surrounding Sinner has become more than just a coaching staff. It’s an almost family-like bond, which Vagnozzi described in meaningful terms in a recent interview with *Corriere della Sera*: “Jannik has a great desire to learn. To always improve.” The Roman coach recalled how, when they began working together in 2022, the young South Tyrolean already had very clear ideas: “I hoped he wouldn’t tell me he was content to be No. 10 in the world. And that’s exactly what happened. He wanted to become No. 1.”
An extraordinary journey of growth, which Vagnozzi sums up with admiration: “Mind-blowing. Maybe in five years I’ve had to motivate him two or three times. He’s always the first one willing to make sacrifices to improve.” A dedication that doesn’t waver even under the sun on a cruise ship, as shown by the video that made the internet smile. And that, evidently, holds true even when the stakes are nothing more than a laugh among friends.
Meanwhile, the question of Cahill’s future with the team remains in the background. The Australian coach’s contract expires at the end of the season, and a final decision is expected only after the ATP Finals in Turin—a tournament for which Sinner has already mathematically qualified. Cahill himself sidestepped the topic after the Wimbledon triumph: “I changed my mind last year; this time, we’ll see.” For now, however, the coach and champion are even vacationing together, hitting balls back and forth on the deck of a ship. A sign that, beyond contracts, the personal and professional rapport between the two remains rock-solid.
