Jannik Sinner’s Coach Silences Rennae Stubbs With Bold Novak Djokovic Claim at US Open

Novak Djokovic is chasing history once again at the 2025 US Open, eyeing what would be a record-shattering 25th Grand Slam title. The 38-year-old Serbian is already in control of his quarterfinal clash against Taylor Fritz, taking the first two sets 6-3, 7-5. But the road to the trophy is far from simple. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz still stand in his path. And while fans debate whether Djokovic can pull it off, Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, offered a perspective that stopped Rennae Stubbs in her tracks.

Behind the US Open broadcasting booth, Cahill highlighted that Djokovic was nearing the end of his tennis career. But this extracted a reaction from Serena Williams’s former coach, Rennae Stubbs. She asked if Cahill really doesn’t believe that the Serbian star can go on to win his 25th Grand Slam title. But in response, all she got was a quirky shutdown. Cahill said, “Well, 25 will be the icing on the cake. But he doesn’t need it, honestly.” After all, he simply wants Jannik Sinner to claim the win, not Djokovic. 

But the pressure for Djokovic isn’t going down anytime soon. With him getting older by the day, the increased risk of injury and significantly enhanced recovery time have already pushed him away from many Masters events. He claimed that the two-week Masters events didn’t interest him anymore. But we can guess the reasons behind it. 

On the other hand, Sinner is a young phenom who’s currently the world No. 1. And he’s already showing signs of excellence with multiple straight-set wins in the US Open. Take his last fight against Alexander Bublik, for example. Sinner finished the game in just 81 minutes, with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. And we can certainly expect him to be a bit more furious in the upcoming games. But did you know that Novak Djokovic had a major role to play in Sinner’s uprising?

You read that right! Not too long ago, Darren Cahill revealed how Novak Djokovic helped Jannik Sinner rise up to be the star that he is today. 

How did Novak Djokovic help Jannik Sinner prepare for the Grand Slam?

Long before Sinner became the world No. 1, Cahill decided to seek some advice from Simone Vagnozzi. And the coach claimed that Sinner needed some major changes. But before running it through the Italian, Cahill took it to Djokovic. So, what did the Serbian say? Cahill recounted, “He basically said, ‘Hey, listen, good luck working with him. Yeah, the ball’s great, but there’s no variation. So, you know, there’s no shape on his shot. There’s no height over the net. Doesn’t come to the net. He’s not trying to bring me in. I know that he returns well, but he’s not attacking my serve on the return of service.’ And so he went through his whole game and broke it down.”

Jannik Sinner, like many others, holds Novak Djokovic in a pretty high regard. And when his coach came to him with a breakdown from Djokovic, it created a lasting impact on him. Of course, his age was also a factor that helped him bring changes to his game really quickly. 

Earlier this year, Sinner got vocal about Djokovic helping him. He said, “I believe that [Djokovic] gave me a lot of information that I can make my game similar to his, but in my style. He is definitely the main person I look up to, trying to do a couple of things like him.” 

But can he actually claim a win against Djokovic if fate puts the two against each other? Well, that’s going to be an interesting show to watch. 

Meanwhile, don’t miss a beat from the ongoing 2025 US Open by visiting the EssentiallySports Live Blog!