Vagnozzi: “99% of it was done by Sinner, there was a lot of work behind it. Here’s how I train him”

The feat is accomplished. Jannik Sinner conquered the throne of Rome 50 years after Adriano Panatta. A feat that will remain in history as Jannik Sinner has become accustomed to us. Simone Vagnozzi has been coaching him since 2022. Together with him and Darren Cahill, Sinner won the Slam and was number 1 in the world. He completed the Masters 1000 collection at just 24 years old and now, he has a new mountain to climb in front of him: Roland Garros, to achieve the Grand Slam of his career: “It’s incredible what he’s doing – commented the coach -. The secret of our team is that we don’t do this job because we’re with the No. 1 in the world but because it’s our passion”.

Vagnozzi, after so much satisfaction on clay, now comes Paris to complete the Grand Slam of Sinner’s career. How do you plan a season like this?

“We always start from an ideal calendar, made at the beginning of the year. But then during the season we have to adapt. A defeat earlier than expected can change plans, just as a series of victories can lead you to skip a tournament. We need to understand how Jannik is physically and also mentally: sometimes a few days of rest may be needed and so we will have a 3-week break after Roland Garros and then return directly to Wimbledon.”

It almost seems like Jannik wants to take back everything he had to miss last year…

“I don’t think this is the point. Jannik always went into every tournament with the idea of ​​doing his best. The motivation was to win a great tournament on clay, prepare well for the rest of the clay court season and return to number one. But he already has a strong motivation inside him without the need for external stimuli.”

There’s no Alcaraz, but how much has he helped you improve?

“Carlos puts you in front of difficulties that force you to work. When an opponent bothers you about 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.”

Now the goal is Roland Garros, the last Slam he misses. Has Sinner really become a floor player?

“The objective was precisely this: to make him a better player on clay. There is no magic wand. The job of a coach is to have a long-term vision: what kind of player do you want him to be in two or three years? Since 2022 we have been working in this direction.”

Do you remember your first meeting?

“We saw each other in Monte Carlo. We talked about how he played, how he could evolve. What he felt on the pitch was very similar to what I saw from the outside: an incredible talent, but with important margins in his tactical vision and in some areas of the game. The nice thing is that we saw the final evolution in the same way.”

What is the most difficult thing about managing such talent?

“At the beginning it’s the responsibility. You know you have enormous talent in front of you and you have to take the right steps. We risked a lot: we changed a lot, looking at the long term. But I never made ‘paracule’ choices for fear of losing my job. I always tried to do what I believed was best for the player.”

On-field coaching has changed your job…

“A little, even if between the lines it was already done before with a few words, a few signs… A bit like a trump. There are days in which he wants to be loaded, others in which he prefers to focus only on himself. It’s up to us to recognize it. Just as a player can miss a smash, we too can make a mistake in the moment in which to say a word”.

Sinner also compares himself a lot with champions of other sports. Is it useful?

“Yes, because even between different sports there are many similarities. We talk about pressure, media attention, preparation. Even between coaches it happens: for example I recently spoke with Blengini, former volleyball coach, and comparing notes is always interesting.”

How do you manage media attention?

“You have to find balance. There are things you read and please you, others that annoy you. The important thing is not to be influenced and stay on the right path. In the end, you can’t please everyone. There will always be something that doesn’t suit someone.”

Is there anything that bothered you?

“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 ahead. Now that Jannik has done it it seems that everything was normal, already written. But it wasn’t like that. He put 99% of it, there was a lot of work behind it. Defeats are part of the game but every time there is a setback we talk about a crisis, in this sense the media should also educate on better acceptance of defeat.”

At a time when football is suffering and there is no going to the World Cup, Sinner is the new national team.

“And it’s nice too. Jannik is proud to represent Italy and I think he does it in the best way. He gives an important example to the kids: respect, education, right values. He’s a normal 24-year-old boy. He likes to have fun, be with friends. When he’s on the pitch he’s very serious, but off it he’s a joyful boy.”

Do you see him for a long time yet?

“I’m happy with Jannik and the goal is to stay. But I always tell him: let’s continue as long as I’m an added value for you. If one day he feels the need for something else, that will be the right thing to do. I consider those who have achieved results with multiple players to be great coaches. Darren, for example, is one of the best because he has worked well with different champions. Then maybe in five years I’ll stop, I don’t know. But it can happen in the future.”

How difficult is it to coach a number 1?

“The hardest thing is that the work never ends. For 330 or 340 days a year you think about how to improve, what to do, about your opponents. Even when you’re not at the tournament you wake up at night if it’s time, you watch the games, talk to him and to Darren. Your brain never switches off. This is why, when a cycle ends, many coaches need months to decompress.”

Could Sinner become a coach?

“In my opinion, yes, but I don’t know if he’ll want to. Champions of this level can be great advisors on pressure, management, important moments. But I don’t know if, after everything he’s given, he’ll want to spend 35 weeks a year around another player…”.