“Incredibly Hungry To Learn”: Jannik Sinner’s New Coach Reveals What Drew Him to the Italian’s Team

Jannik Sinner was ready to make changes to his style, even if that meant losing matches. How many top ATP players are heard saying this at the peak of their powers? Yet, that is what the Italian talked about after his 2025 US Open final loss against Carlos Alcaraz. Mind you, even though he lost the match, Sinner was already an established player by then, with four Major titles at that point. Still, the Italian was on the lookout for changes in his game to keep improving. It seems the World No. 2’s constant appetite for change is what attracted Magnus Norman to take up the high-profile assignment.

“He is still young, very humble and incredibly hungry to learn and Improve, despite everything he has already accomplished,” said Norman in an Instagram post. “For me, that is what makes working with him so exciting. I’m really looking forward to being part of his team and contributing in any way I can to his continued development.”

Norman’s hiring comes on the heels of Darren Cahill’s departure from Sinner’s team, something that was made official on November 6. The Swedish coach has made a name for himself by taking the likes of Robin Soderling and San Wawrinka from being run-of-the-mill Top 20 players to genuine title contenders at Slams. His best work came with Wawrinka, with the Swiss winning three Majors under Norman’s guidance during a period when the Big Three were dominating the sport.

The Norman-Sinner duo has the potential for great success, as the Italian has never been shy about making changes to his game, starting with revamping his serve mechanics early in his career. With Cahill and Vagnozzi working tirelessly behind the scenes, the Italian modified his existing natural power game into an efficient game where the former World No.1 started to put more margin on his shots rather than going for line-hugging winners all the time, something that made him a force to be reckoned with, especially during Slam finals.

While the likes of Soderling and Wawrinka needed some developmental work, with Sinner, Norman is getting to work with a player who is or is very near to being the finished product. The Swede realized that and did not forget to pay tribute to the likes of Cahill and the Italian team for their achievements.

“First of all, I have enormous respect for the work Darren Cahill and the entire team have done with Jannik over the years,” said Norman in the Instagram post. “They have done an incredible job, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to build on what they have achieved. Jannik is obviously already one of the best players in the world, but what excites me most is his personality and mindset.”

Even though his style of play is often dubbed as ‘robotic’ by fans, Sinner’s ice-cold efficiency makes him the dominant force he has been in the last few years, losing only 15 matches in the last three seasons. The Italian has already shown signs of his steely mentality, which was on display when he won Wimbledon in 2025, after letting the disappointment of the French Open final behind him. Not to mention, when news of his failed doping tests first broke ahead of the 2024 US Open, the Italian calmly fielded all the questions while also winning the title at Flushing Meadows.

• While Norman is the one whom Sinner has chosen, the Swede is not the only one who has expressed a desire to coach the World No.2 because of his mentality. Before joining forces with Ben Shelton, several rumors linked Juan Carlos Ferrero to Sinner’s team, with the veteran Spaniard publicly stating his willingness to take on the project. Even someone like Toni Nadal expressed his desire to take up coaching duties with the Italian, which for Sinner, comes as a huge endorsement of his game and the way he conducts himself off the court.

While there might not be much room for further technical improvements, with Norman on board, Sinner can make tweaks to his game based on individual matchups, something the Swedish coach has historically been successful with.

Magnus Norman Can Help Jannik Sinner With Individual Matchups

As a coach, Norman’s biggest hits included Soderling defeating Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, when the Spaniard was an unbeatable force on the Parisian clay. The Swedish coach tweaked Soderling’s game to use more flat groundstrokes rather than too much topspin, and to try to corner the Spaniard’s forehand, an idea that worked, as Nadal’s 31-match win streak at the French Open was snapped.

Similarly to Wawrinka, Norman was able to bring about a mindset change in the Swiss and adopt a high-risk approach of going for winners rather than rallies, especially against someone like Novak Djokovic, at a time when the Serb’s rally tolerance was among the best in the world. The approach worked, as Wawrinka beat the Serb in two Grand Slam finals, and four of six victories against Djokovic came at Slams, even though the 24-time Major champion had a 21-6 overall head-to-head.

For Sinner, the Italian will be keen to use Norman’s tactical understanding to turn the head-to-head against Carlos Alcaraz. At the moment, it’s close, with the Spaniard leading 10-7, but with Swede on his side, the Italian will hope to get the lead in the rivalry in the next season.