Jannik Sinner has decided to play the Madrid Open unlike some of his biggest rivals.
Sinner has not played the Madrid Open since 2024, having missed the tournament last year as he was serving his three-month ban from tennis.
The Italian returns to the Spanish capital this year, but he will be without Carlos Alcaraz, who is out with a wrist injury.
Novak Djokovic is also missing the Madrid Open this year, and Sinner’s coach, Simone Vagnozzi, has revealed why he did not follow suit.
Simone Vagnozzi explains why Jannik Sinner did not skip the Madrid Open
Vagnozzi had suggested Sinner would skip the Madrid Open even before he won the Monte Carlo Masters, but he has now explained why they made the decision not to.
When speaking to La Gazetta dello Sport, Vagnozzi, who has been on Sinner’s coaching team since February 2022, revealed that they decided that there would be too much time between the Monte Carlo Masters and the Italian Open.
“We had a lot of time to train at Indian Wells, and we’re prepared,” said Vagnozzi. “Jannik has been getting better and better as time goes on during Monte Carlo.
“If we hadn’t come to Madrid, too much time would have passed between that tournament and Rome. He’s fine, so there’s no need to worry.”
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Vagnozzi was then asked a follow-up question about how they plan to handle the challenge of playing the Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open and the Italian Open before the French Open.
“There’s no better training than a match,” added Vagnozzi. “When a player wins and plays well, they waste less energy. You can train really well for three months, but if you arrive at the first match without a rhythm, you waste more energy than someone who’s confident.
“You need to find balance, be flexible, and adapt. We’ll see when the tournament ends here, and we’ll plan our training accordingly. We made this choice because we believe it’s the best one for the entire clay season.”
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While Vagnozzi has been Sinner’s coach since 2022, he is not the only tennis coach on his team.
The other is Darren Cahill, who was rumoured to have been leaving Sinner’s team at the end of the 2025 season.
After remaining on his team for the 2026 team, Cahill has been confirmed to be on Sinner’s team for another year, but his future after that is uncertain.
Vagnozzi was asked about the possibility of Cahill leaving, as he explained what the dynamic of Sinner having two coaches is like.
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“I hope he doesn’t leave… Even though it’s not always easy working with two people, everyone has their role,” said Vagnozzi.
He added, “I’m the pain in the a**…I’m the one who has to say the uncomfortable things. The bad cop, so to speak. Darren is more cheerful, the one who diffuses tensions.”
Both Vagnozzi and Cahill will be in the Spanish capital with Sinner, as he looks to extend his 17-match winning streak and win the Madrid Open for the first time.
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