Jannik Sinner Parts Ways With Cahill, Brings In Norman
Jannik Sinner has parted ways with coach Darren Cahill, the world number two said in a video posted on social media on Friday, with Magnus Norman poised to replace the Australian.
Norman, a former world number two, will work alongside Simone Vagnozzi, who has coached Sinner since 2022. The change comes as Sinner prepares to return from a knee injury that has kept him out since Wimbledon.
“A large part of who I am, as a player and as a person, I owe to you,” Sinner said about Cahill in the video posted on Instagram. “Of these five seasons, I won’t forget a single day. Thank you, my friend, for everything. It has been a privilege.”
Jannik Sinner: a partnership that built a champion
Sinner went from a rising talent to the top of the sport under Cahill. The Australian joined the team in 2022, the same year as Vagnozzi, and the pair guided the Italian through the most successful period of his career.
Cahill is a veteran coach who has guided four players to the world number one ranking. He had been expected to leave Sinner’s team in 2025, but stayed on for another year and said at Wimbledon he would remain until the end of 2026 before discussing his future. The split has now come a little earlier than that timetable suggested.
Sinner’s rise under Cahill was interrupted by a three-month ban in 2025 after two positive tests for trace amounts of clostebol in 2024, for which he was cleared of wrongdoing. He returned to win a fifth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July this year, but has not played since because of a persistent knee injury.
What Norman brings
Norman, 50, arrives with a proven record as a coach. He took fellow Swede Robin Soderling into the top five in the rankings and to two French Open finals, then guided Swiss Stan Wawrinka to three Grand Slam titles.
That record matters for Sinner’s next step. Norman has worked with players who had to rebuild their games and their confidence, and Wawrinka’s late-career Grand Slam wins remain one of the strongest coaching records in the modern game. Sinner will hope the Swede can bring the same steady hand to a team that is changing at a delicate moment.
Vagnozzi stays on, which gives the new set-up some continuity. He has been with Sinner since 2022 and knows the Italian’s game and routines. Norman will join him rather than replace the whole team.
The road back
Sinner is expected to make his comeback in December at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia. He has decided not to play in any of the remaining ATP tournaments this year, and Alexander Zverev is now guaranteed to finish 2026 as the year-end world number one.
The December exhibition will be a low-pressure return, but it will still be watched closely. Sinner has been out since July, and the knee will need to hold up through a full schedule in 2027 if he is to challenge Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the rankings.
The coaching change adds another question to that return. A new voice in the team can refresh a player’s game, but it can also take time to settle. Sinner will have the off-season to work with Norman before the new season begins in earnest.
Tennis rarely leads the sports pages in Pakistan, where cricket sets the pace. The senior cricket team starts a home Test series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Monday, November 9, after Sri Lanka beat the PCB Patrons XI by 142 runs in their warm-up match. Pakistan will also host Ireland for a one-day series in January 2027, and Pakistan reached the Asian Games cricket final in October. Readers can follow all of it in Feature Pakistan’s sports section.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jannik Sinner’s new coach?
Magnus Norman, a former world number two from Sweden, is poised to replace Darren Cahill. Norman will work alongside Simone Vagnozzi, who has coached Sinner since 2022.
Why did Sinner part ways with Darren Cahill?
Sinner announced the split in a video on social media on Friday, thanking Cahill for five seasons together. Cahill had said at Wimbledon he would stay until the end of 2026 before discussing his future.
What has Magnus Norman achieved as a coach?
Norman took Robin Soderling into the top five and to two French Open finals, then guided Stan Wawrinka to three Grand Slam titles.
When will Sinner play again?
Sinner is expected to return in December at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia. He has been out with a persistent knee injury since winning Wimbledon in July.
Who will finish 2026 as world number one?
Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to finish 2026 as the year-end world number one, with Sinner deciding not to play in any of the remaining ATP tournaments this year.
