ATP Tour

Sinner's subtle changes are not all about Alcaraz

Might we see more of Jannik Sinner at net this Australian Open?

Seeking a three-peat at the year’s first major – and the longer-term goal of wrestling back No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings from Carlos Alcaraz - Sinner said that moving forward and his serve were two areas the team worked on during the off-season.

“We worked a lot on trying to make the transition to the net,” the 24-year-old said. “The serve, we changed a couple of things. But all small details. When you are at the top level, these are the small details make the difference.

“But I would say the first matches you try to get used to the match feeling again, and then after you try to add something. We’ll see how things go. We see what conditions we play in.”

The two-time reigning Australian Open and Nitto ATP Finals champion said that the slight modifications to his game were not targeted solely at improving his chances of beating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, whom he can’t dethrone in Melbourne. The duo has split the past eight Grand Slam singles titles and contested the past three finals, with Alcaraz victorious at Roland Garros and the US Open and Sinner taking honours at Wimbledon.

“It's not only for one specific player,” Sinner said. “Look, if you add something to your game, the aim is to get better as a tennis player. It's not about beating one guy. It's more about feeling comfortable in every situation. That's what we tried to do in the off-season.

“We worked a lot physically. Also, the physical part now is so, so important because the matches, they can get very long but also very intense. The tennis now, it's very fast. You have to be at the top physical level as long as you can.

“The season is very long, so you have to manage your body in the best possible way. Also, the mental ability to stay there always, it's going to be very important.”

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Sinner also spoke about being able to convince Darren Cahill to remain on his coaching team along with Simone Vagnozzi. Last year the Australian said that 2025 might be his final year on the team.

“He's so important for all of us, for all the team,” Sinner said. “He has this huge experience. He knows me now as not only as a player but also as a person now in a different way.

“He is very important. He's the man who has under control kind of everything. He's our dad for the whole team (smiling). It's good to have him. You feel in a very safe place. It's good.”

Sinner will begin his title defense against Frenchman Hugo Gaston. He is seeded to meet Brazilian teen Joao Fonseca in the third round and Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.