“He’s a special young kid,” is what Darren Cahill said about Jannik Sinner after the Italian had announced himself on the Tour with his title run at the 2024 Australian Open. While the praise did have the element of professional satisfaction of being a coach, it also showed the personal bond that the veteran Australian coach had with the former World No.1. Now, with the partnership coming to an end, Sinner looked back on their partnership, fondly recalling the parts he wished were still there.

“Yeah. I’m going to miss the person around me who I can call 24/7 in every moment I’m passing my life, because we had some tough times, and I had tough times as well, and you were always the first person I called because I felt the closest to you, in especially difficult and toughest moments,” said Sinner to Cahill himself in a frank video discussion on the Italian’s YouTube channel. “And this is, for me, the one thing I’m going to miss the most. And then victories and losses, they come and go. It’s just like a moment, but the rest of the connection with a person is way more important. So, this is what I’m going to miss the most, yeah.”

One might think that “tough times” might be overselling it a bit, as Sinner hardly lost matches under Cahill’s tenure in the last few seasons. However, the relationship the two shared went beyond serve mechanics and the scoreboard, as Cahill also provided psychological support to the 25-year-old, who had to deal with the pressures of being one of the sport’s top players.

One of the most poignant moments of the partnership came when the media scrutiny of Sinner was intense due to the failed doping tests in 2024. Cahill was the one who would be the voice of reason amid the media frenzy, calmly yet firmly reassuring the public of his player’s innocence, taking some of the glare off the World No. 2.

While Sinner did become a serial champion under Cahill, it took some time for the Italian to develop his game when the veteran Australian came on board in 2022. The five-time Major champion struggled with physical issues, often running out of gas in long five-set battles at Grand Slams, while also lacking variation and tactical nuance in his game on the court. Not to mention, when Sinner joined forces with Cahill, the Italian had just let his longtime coach Ricardo Piatti go and needed a new direction in his career, something which Cahill provided.

With Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi running things, Sinner was well-positioned to excel on court, as the off-court pressures were handled by his team, including making the team environment fun with occasional golf trips. Given tennis is an individual sport, it is not uncommon for players to lean back on their coaches beyond the professional advice, something that was also obvious in what Sinner’ peer and rival, Carlos Alcaraz, shared with his former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, where the Spaniard dubbed his coach a “second father” as well.

While Sinner would miss the moments of guidance and friendship with Cahill, the Australian pointed out another on-court moment as one of his best during his tenure with the Italian.

Darren Cahill Picks His Best Moment With Jannik Sinner

While there have been countless moments that Sinner and Cahill savored together, nothing could surpass the thrill of winning the first Major for the veteran Australian. Speaking with Sinner during their conversation, Cahill candidly admitted that the 2024 Australian Open win was his best moment with the Italian.

“And I think the journey of getting to this moment, the players you beat to get your first major, the way you did it, beating Novak in the semis, then beating Daniil after being a couple of sets down in the final,” said Cahill in the video.

Coming into the 2024 Australian Open, Sinner was still regarded as a promising young player. The Italian was a Top-10 player by then and had won Masters 1000 titles, but had yet to taste Grand Slam success. The greatest moment for the Italian came in his last two matches in Melbourne against the likes of Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, two players against whom he had historically struggled. However, the Italian was not to be denied as he broke the Serb’s 10-0 streak at the Australian Open semifinals, before coming back from being two sets down against Medvedev in the final, putting the notion of him struggling to win long matches behind him.

That win started Sinner’s dominance on the Tour, which has seen him lose only 15 matches in the last three seasons, a streak he would like to keep going as he starts the new season with Magnus Norman.