Australia, Killer, Sinner: Everything you always wanted to know about Darren Cahill (but never had time to find out) – updated with comments on Sinner positive test
A former player and a tennis analyst on television, Australian Darren Cahill is currently coaching men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner
Darren Cahill in Adelaide in 2020
Image Credit: Zuma / Panoramic
Who is Darren Cahill?
Darren Cahill is a former player and one of the leading coaches in world tennis. He was born on 2nd October 1965.
What did Darren Cahill have to say about the Jannik Sinner positive test?
In August 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that world No 1 Jannik Sinner had tested positive twice for clostebol during the 2024 Indian Wells Masters but would not be suspended as the Italian was cleared of fault or negligence by an independent tribunal.
Darren Cahill, the current coach of Sinner, who was also coaching the Italian at the time of the positive test, said in an interview that the Australian Open champion had no intention of cheating and provided more background about the positive test.
Who is Darren Cahill currently coaching?
Cahill is currently part of Jannik Sinner‘s team. The pair started working together in the middle of 2022. Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi are both working on the Sinner team and the duo were voted Coach of the Year in the 2023 ATP Awards for their work with the Italian.
“My role is more about the experience and how to help him mentally in these big moments, and to make sure that we’re working on the right stuff that eventually is going to get him to the place we want to be,” Cahill said as quoted by the ATP website.
WhAT has JANNIK SINNER ACHIEVED WHILE WORKING WITH Darren Cahill?
Sinner ended 2023 by finishing runner-up at the Nitto ATP Finals and leading Italy to the Davis Cup title.
He began 2024 by capturing his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Sinner clinched the No 1 ATP ranking for the first time in his career at Roland-Garros when Novak Djokovic — the defending champion — withdrew prior to the quarter-finals because of a knee injury. That gave Cahill the rare distinction of having coached four players – Sinner, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Simona Halep, to the world No 1 ranking.
Who has Darren Cahill coached in the past?
Cahill first came to prominence as a coach when he worked with Aussie youngster Lleyton Hewitt, whom he guided to the world No 1 ranking.
After that, Cahill coached Andre Agassi, who became the oldest player ever to be ranked world No 1 while working with the Australian. Cahill was part of the Adidas Player Development Program after Agassi retired in 2006 and worked with several players, including Andy Murray, Ana Ivanovic, Fernando Verdasco, Daniela Hantuchova, Sorana Cîrstea, and Simona Halep.
He joined the Halep team, coaching the Romanian to the No 1 spot and the 2018 French Open title and then rejoined her team in 2020. He started working with American Amanda Anisimova in January 2022 and then joined Jannik Sinner’s team in July 2022.
WHAT HAS JANNIK SINNER SAID ABOUT DARREN CAHILL?
Sinner has praised Cahill’s calming influence and often says that he values the Australian as a person as much as he does him as a coach.
“It’s obviously a huge pleasure for me to have him,” Sinner said at Roland-Garros in 2024. “I still remember the first week we had in Eastbourne on grass. Immediately I had good feelings with him because he has a lot of experience obviously. I know that he brought different kind of players to world No 1. He had great achievements also with different players. He knows how to adapt to each player, and I think this is a quality what’s amazing, no? Also the combination with Simone is really, really good. They’re two different coaches, but they work together really well. They are very humble, and they respect each other very much. I think the combination is very good. I’m lucky to have both of them and all the rest of the team.”
Was Darren Cahill a player prior to becoming a coach?
Yes, Cahill was a pro on the ATP Tour, peaking at No 22 in the singles rankings and winning 2 ATP singles titles. His best performance at the slams was a semi-final run at the 1988 US Open, where he beat Boris Becker and Aaron Krickstein before going down to eventual champion Mats Wilander.
In doubles, he peaked at No 10 in the world rankings, winning 13 ATP titles, reaching the final of the 1987 Wimbledon mixed doubles event (with Nicole Provis (Pratt) and the 1989 Australian Open men’s doubles event (with fellow Aussie Mark Kratzmann). Cahill was dogged by chronic knee injuries during his career and after 10 operations, he retired as a player in 1995.
Why is Cahill nicknamed ‘Killer’?
During an interview, Cahill, known to be one of the nicest guys on tour, was asked about the origination of his nickname ‘Killer’ and the Australian responded, “When I was about 15 or 16, I was the smallest kid in my class, but a pretty good tennis player, and because I was beating up on the taller, bigger kids on court, I got the nickname Little Killer. ‘Little’ got dumped after I grew about nine inches in one year when I was 17.”
Is Cahill also a television anaylst?
Cahill works as a tennis analyst and is regularly seen commentating for the Grand Slam events, most notably for ESPN.
Who IS in his family?
Cahill married his wife Victoria in 2000. The couple have two children, Benjamin and Tahlia.
Is Darren Cahill on social media?
Cahill is active on social media. As of August 22, 2024, he is followed more than 149,600 people on Twitter and on Instagram, where he is followed by 77,500 people.
