Jannik Sinner’s absence from the ATP Tour is a major worry, but what’s going on behind the scenes is far more concerning for the world No 1.
The star is currently shrouded in mystery when it comes to his coaching team, with Darren Cahill expected to bow out at the end of the 2026 season.
Cahill was set to stop coaching Sinner at the end of the 2025 season, but the Italian’s Wimbledon triumph convinced the Australian coach to stick around for the 2026 season.
He has not officially ruled out making another U-turn, although you would imagine that would have been confirmed by now by camp Sinner.
Earlier this year, Cahill said: “Let’s see… I didn’t think I would coach Jannik in 2026, and instead I’m here. No bets for the moment, my goal is to do the best possible job for Sinner and the team this year.
“Then we will talk at the end of the season, as we did last year, and we will decide, with the utmost serenity”.
In the meantime, however, Sinner’s rivals have been hoovering up some of the more tangible options for the Italian when it comes to coaches.
More Jannik Sinner news
Arthur Fils snapped up Goran Ivanisevic’s services earlier this year and that has had a very positive effect on the Frenchman’s performances in 2026.
Under Ivanisevic, who famously worked with Djokovic, Fils has won the Barcelona Open and the Cincinnati Open, as well as earning a place in the ATP Tour top 10 for the first time.
Having worked with Djokovic, Ivanisevic would have been perfect for Sinner, but now he is seemingly off the table.
So too is Ivan Ljubicic, who has just started working with Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The Croatian coach worked with Roger Federer for a number of years, in a period that would have brought him two Australian Open titles and a Wimbledon title.
Ljubicic is another coach who would have been a shrewd replacement for Cahill, but he has also been taken by one of the star’s looking to catch Sinner in the rankings.
Of course, there are other options for Sinner should he split with Cahill at the end of the year, but he is vastly running out of options.
The two prime candidates at this point in time look to be Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya, but there are by no means a certainty.
Ferrero has teased a return to tennis recently, but would he really opt to work with Sinner after such a long time with Carlos Alcaraz?
Moya, meanwhile, has not worked with anyone since Nadal retired in 2024, so it is currently up in the air if the Spanish coach is even looking for a return.
