by Vanni Gibertini
We meet Simone Vagnozzi on the lawn of the Hard Rock Stadium at 2.30 pm, just after Jannik Sinner has finished his training session with Marton Fucsovics on Court 12. Sinner will be taking on Laslo Djere in his first match in Miami so it’s a chance to speak about his excellent first part of season, the semifinal in Indian Wells lost against Alcaraz, and his expectations for the next weeks.
How does Sinner’s team evaluate the performance and result obtained in Indian Wells?
We are definitely happy. He has been very consistent in the last period, at Australian Open, Rotterdam and Montpellier. In Indian Wells he reached the semi-finals and played a very close match with Alcaraz, who then went on to win the tournament. This means that we are on a good path and that we must continue working hard without easing pressure because our ultimate goal is not to get to the semifinals but to try and win one of these tournaments.
Speaking about the match with Alcaraz, in a match that seems to be becoming a tennis classic, what could have been done differently?
Surely the first set could have gone either way, and if Jannik had won that first set maybe the match could have taken a different direction. Looking back, we could have done something more, although we cannot reveal our moves for the future. The service was an important feature of the match, but not the only key. I don’t think Jannik lost the first set just due to the serve, because if we analyze the details, at the end Jannik won more points than Alcaraz, so you can’t win more points if you are serving badly.
Jannik had a few chances, but as in the past with Alcaraz the match took a turn in a few points. And we must also take into account that Carlos comes from more important experiences, he has won a Slam, three Masters 1000, so even if he is younger he is probably more ready to play this kind of matches. Alcaraz is ahead at the moment, but if we get to play against him, we stand a chance.
Sinner often remains far behind the baseline to return serve: do you think this position may have impacted the result of the match with Alcaraz, since also in the final against Medvedev, who stands even further back than Jannik, he took full advantage of this position?
I don’t think Sinner stands so far back. For example, on the second serve he always moves forward, at least in 95% of cases. He has worked on this aspect. On the first serve it depends on the player he’s facing, but I don’t think his position is so far back, it’s a bit more like Djokovic’s position.
We were talking about a path with Jannik, and also when we talked to him in Indian Wells it was clear he is aware that it will take at least another couple of years before reaching his full physical maturity. What benchmark do you use to understand where you stand and what is your point of arrival?
Since last year we have embarked on a new path with Jannik, adding new elements, technical, tactical and physical, and this path needs time to be completed. If we make a comparison with Alcaraz, he is two years younger, but he has been doing the same things since he was 15, so at the moment he is more complete. Jannik needs a little more time, although no one knows exactly when his development will be completed. I am sure, however, that in 2-3 years Jannik will be physically stronger than he is now. We must not overdo it, we must not risk, we must do everything at the right time, and I am convinced that this path will yield important results.
The same considerations can be made about Jannik’s serve: the stats tell us that it’s improving, the direct points with the service, aces and winning serves, are rising. Obviously there will be days when he will just serve 50%, but the important thing is that during the year, considering 60-70 matches, the numbers show he’s growing.
When you say that “Alcaraz has always played the same way since he was 15, what do you mean exactly?
If you watch a match of Alcaraz when he was 15 years old you see that he could do more or less all the things he does even now: he plays dropshots, he comes to the net, he does serve and volley; it’s a path he is been completing over time.
So he got there sooner? Or was he just born like this?
Well, we’re talking about a phenomenon. At 19 years old, nobody played like that, not even the all-time greats, such as Djokovic, Rafa or Federer. No one was as complete as he is when they were 19 years old.
So now that his game is already so complete will it be difficult to improve?
He is surely going to improve, and be at the top for many, many years. But we have to focus on Jannik, trying to make him the best player possible. And that’s what we’re trying to do.
Both Carlos and Jannik said that playing against each other will make them better players. Each match seems like the next move in a chess game. Is it a feeling you share as well?
I think so, but we do the same with all the players. Every time you play a match you try to introduce elements that can unsettle your opponent, and your opponent does the same. Then of course Carlos, Jannik, and even Musetti are the most prominent young players so these things are more noticeable.
