Darren Cahill is planning to depart Jannik Sinner’s coaching team at the end of the 2025 season.
During the Italian’s triumphant campaign in Melbourne earlier this year, Cahill announced his intention to depart Sinner’s team at the end of 2025.
The Australian joined Sinner’s team in 2022 and helped guide him to three Grand Slam titles, becoming world number one in the process.
Cahill shares the coaching role with Italy’s Simone Vagnozzi, as the pair have enjoyed great success together over the past three years.
As the end of Cahill’s tenure as Sinner’s coach nears, Vagnozzi has revealed what he and the rest of the team have been trying to ‘convince’ the Aussie to do recently.
Simone Vagnozzi hopes he can ‘convince’ Darren Cahill to stay on as Jannik Sinner’s coach for 2026
Speaking to Sky Sports Italy ahead of Sinner’s third-round match at the 2025 French Open, Vagnozzi revealed whether they have started the search for Cahill’s replacement.
“We haven’t started looking for anyone to replace [Darren] Cahill yet, because now there are Paris, Wimbledon and tournaments that are more important,” he said.
The 41-year-old admitted he ‘hopes’ Cahill changes his mind, and that the team has been trying to convince him to stay on as coach.
“If you ask me, I hope Darren stays next year and that we can still have continuity. I’m trying to convince him, let’s see,” said Vagnozzi.
“He and I have found a balance, and we have integrated well. There are departments where maybe I do more, and departments where he does more.
“But we have integrated well, we hope to convince him.”
Focusing on the task at hand, Vagnozzi previewed Sinner’s third-round match with Czechia’s Jiri Lehecka.
“It will be a complicated match, Jannik [Sinner] will have to raise the level,” said Vagnozzi.
The Italian shared his thoughts on how Sinner has progressed since returning from suspension earlier this month.
“He is better, we are happy with how he is recovering. Now he can enjoy his life as a tennis player 100%” he said.
Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka’s head-to-head record
Sinner has played his French Open third-round opponent twice before on the ATP Tour, emerging victorious on both occasions.
- 2024 Indian Wells QF – Jannik Sinner beat Jiri Lehecka, 6-3, 6-3
- 2024 Beijing QF – Jannik Sinner beat Jiri Lehecka, 6-2, 7-6
The Czech star came closest to winning a set off Sinner at the China Open last September, narrowly coming up short in a second-set tiebreaker, 6-7 [6-8].
Both players have enjoyed strong starts to their French Open campaigns in 2025, dropping just one set between them in their opening two matches.
Sinner defeated Arthur Rinderknech in his opening match, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, before beating another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4, to advance to the round of 32.
Lehecka got the better of Jordan Thompson in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1, to secure his spot in the second round, where he battled hard to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
When Lehecka takes to the court against Sinner, he’ll be doing so for the first time in the third round of Roland Garros, having won just one match in his two previous visits to the French capital.
A win against the world number one would see him advance to his second consecutive Grand Slam fourth round, following his impressive run to the last 16 of the Australian Open in January.
There, Lehecka came up short against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in three sets.
Sinner, on the other hand, will be looking to make light work of the world number 34 and continue his march towards the title.
The Italian was one of the big pre-tournament favorites, and has more than looked the part during his opening two matches.
Only time will tell who will come out on top when Sinner and Lehecka face off for a place in the French Open fourth round on Saturday, May 31.
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