One of the season’s biggest clay-court events may be missing from Jannik Sinner’s 2025 schedule, with his coach Darren Cahill saying they “will change a few things” next year “to avoid the risk of injuries”.
Sinner had a great start to the 2024 season, winning three of the four hard-court tournaments he participated, including the Australian Open, Rotterdam Open, and Miami Open, while also reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells.
He sustained his outstanding form at the start of the clay-court season, reaching 25-1 before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals.
After a couple more wins at the Madrid Open, Sinner picked up a hip injury and was forced to withdraw from his quarter-final clash while he also missed the Italian Open.
Cahill believes the quick turnaround from hard court to clay took its toll on the Italian and has suggested they could delay his debut on the red dirt in 2025.
Sinner will most likely skip the Monte Carlo event – the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament on clay – next year before making a return in Madrid.
“We will change a few things. The transition from Miami to clay this year was too abrupt, we will prepare him better, also to avoid the risk of injuries,” the Australian told Corriere Della Sera.
“Everything will continue to revolve around the Slams.
“The ATP is not making our lives easier by extending the Masters 1000: some last two weeks. So it is not easy to rest: we will make some choices.
“Jannik also needs to complete his physical growth. It must be said that he trusts me and Simone Vagnozzi a lot.”
Sinner also had a solid grass-court campaign as he won the Halle Open and reached the quarter-final at Wimbledon.
He struggled with illness at Wimbledon and was forced to skip the 2024 Paris Olympics before returning with a bang in North America as he won the Cincinnati Open and US Open.
The Italian followed it up with the Shanghai Masters title in October to take his ATP singles trophy tally to 17.
Cahill has overseen 11 of those trophy runs as he has been part of the team since mid 2022.
Asked what the 23-year-old’s greatest talent is, he replied: “The ability to process information and transform it into actions. The ability to learn quickly.
“There are conservative players who don’t like to change their tennis for fear of taking steps backwards. Jannik is the opposite: he is not afraid of losing a couple of matches in an attempt to improve his game.
“In this environment, believe me, it is rare. His superpower is not being afraid of improving.
“Today he knows how to play in 5-6 different ways, he knows how to close the point with the serve, at the net, playing on the line and behind the line, he knows how to use the drop short, the slice, the back. He doesn’t just know how to hit hard: he knows how to do it intelligently.”
