Jannik Sinner Completely Overhauls His Medical Team as Darren Cahill’s Future Takes a Decisive Turn

Jannik Sinner has changed his medical setup as he works toward a return to tennis in 2027. And amidst it all, Darren Cahill’s latest visit to Monte Carlo has raised new questions about their coaching partnership.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sinner will no longer rely on J Medical in Turin for his rehabilitation. “It seems, in fact, that the world number one will no longer make use of J Medical, which had treated him and got him back on his feet,” wrote Federica Cocchi. Instead, he has turned to orthopedic specialist Herbert Schoenhuber, with Alberto Zangrillo, clinical director at San Raffaele Hospital, also involved in his care.

Gazzetta described Zangrillo as an anesthesia and intensive care specialist and a former medical consultant to Silvio Berlusconi and Giorgio Armani, and said he is expected to act as Sinner’s medical adviser. The weekly magazine Chi photographed the two together in Milan the week before, and Sinner was spotted with Zangrillo again at his Milan hotel on October 21.

J Medical, the Juventus-linked clinic at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, was a familiar stop for Sinner. He began rehabilitation there in May 2024 for a hip problem, arriving in a beach hat with trainer Umberto Ferrara and aiming to be fit for Roland Garros. After Wimbledon this year, he went back for routine checks in July. Italian reports on August 26 said he had returned for new exams on his right knee after pulling out of the US Open.

A Quotidiano Sportivo report from September laid out a staged plan: therapy at J Medical overseen by Ferrara, physiotherapist Alejandro Resnicoff and team doctor Luca Semperboni, followed by limited racket sessions at Circolo della Stampa Sporting in Turin. If those went well, he would move to Monte Carlo to train with coach Simone Vagnozzi, with the Beijing tournament as the target for his return.

Sinner finished the J Medical phase on September 11. Italian reports described extra-articular tendinopathy in the right knee (with iliotibial band syndrome identified in subsequent reporting as the more specific suspected diagnosis) and treatment that included argon laser therapy, joint stabilisation work, gym strength training and controlled movement tests on court, with positive responses allowing him to move on to progressive training under Vagnozzi. Physiotherapists Flavio Cipolla and Federico Bristot, alongside Resnicoff, were named, and Beijing tournament director Lars Graff expected Sinner, the defending champion, to play.

But Puntodebreak has now added that the relapse before the Asian swing, just as Sinner looked ready to compete, pushed him to seek out Schoenhuber, with whom he will now move through his recovery in stages.

By the time he shut down his season on October 6, Sinner had also seen specialists elsewhere. Corriere dello Sport counted two consultations in Milan and one in Lyon with surgeon Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet (who suggested that surgery was neither necessary nor under consideration), on top of the treatment at J Medical, and said the decision was to continue with conservative therapy. Centre Orthopédique Santy thanked Sinner publicly after a photo of him with a fan appeared on Instagram.

A week after the announcement, Gazzetta dello Sport had reported that Sonnery-Cottet had already given Sinner platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, which is meant to support the body’s own repair and ease pain and inflammation. His treatment has focused on rest and physiotherapy, and the next step could involve limited on-court tests to assess how his knee responds to tennis-specific movements. The outlet had also reported that the rest of the rehabilitation would run through the Physioclinic centre under Schoenhuber, its co-founder. Physioclinic said on Facebook that Sinner had chosen to rely on his care and that it expected him to recover well and return next season.

Schoenhuber, a former president of the Italian Winter Sports Federation’s medical committee, helped skier Sofia Goggia back for the 2022 Beijing Olympics after she hurt her knee that January. She won silver, a comeback many called a miracle. Schoenhuber has also treated three-time Olympic gold medallist Alberto Tomba, a friend of both Sinner and his agent, Alex Vittur. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, it was Vittur who strongly recommended Schoenhuber to Sinner.

The Australian Open in January remains the main target for Sinner’s return to official competition. A possible appearance at the Six Kings Slam exhibition from December 27 to 30 has also been discussed, but his participation remains uncertain. How his body responds going forward will determine whether he can test himself before the new season or needs to wait until Melbourne. For now, he will follow the instructions received in Lyon.

Outside voices have also been encouraging about the conservative route. Former Juventus doctor Fabrizio Tencone said earlier in October that similar problems can often be treated without surgery, though he stressed he had not examined Sinner.

Marco Panichi, who was Sinner’s fitness coach from September 2024 to June 2025 and has also worked with Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune, was blunter in an interview with Gonzo Tennis. He said he has no precise information on the case, but that iliotibial band syndrome is the classic overuse injury of runners on hard surfaces and, if that is what Sinner has, will “keep him out for a while.” Surgery, he added, does not offer the same guarantees here as it does for an injury such as a torn ACL, and almost nobody has it for this problem.

Meanwhile, Cahill’s presence in Monte Carlo has added another layer to the situation. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Australian coach travelled to meet Sinner as questions continued over their partnership. Cahill was rumored to be expected to leave at the end of 2026, when his contract expires. Juan Carlos Ferrero had also emerged in the speculation after publicly saying he would not rule out coaching Sinner, although nothing has been confirmed.

One possibility is for Cahill to stay through the Australian Open, with a longer arrangement until Roland Garros in June also under discussion. La Gazzetta dello Sport described the latter scenario as a way for Cahill to “make up for” the months Sinner has lost to injury.

Cahill and fellow coach Simone Vagnozzi have helped Sinner win five Grand Slam titles and reach world No. 1. Keeping Cahill through the early part of 2027 would give the pair more time to manage the comeback before a potential coaching transition emerges again. For now, however, the immediate priority is Sinner’s recovery, and the Monte Carlo meeting does not establish that an extension has been agreed.

Sinner’s Injury Could Also Cost Him Millions

Sinner’s absence has consequences beyond missed matches. According to Daily Express UK, he risks losing a reported £3.3 million ATP bonus after missing several Masters 1000 tournaments this season.

Per Reuters, Sinner has entered five Masters 1000 events this year, but the ATP’s Bonus Pool only recognizes four of them. Monte-Carlo sits outside the eight mandatory tournaments that decide bonus eligibility, so the Italian’s tally for this purpose is four out of eight, not five. That matters because a player who completes just four of the eight required Masters 1000s loses his entire Bonus Pool share. The rule makes no exception for why a player skipped an event, so missing a tournament through injury doesn’t automatically safeguard the payout.

His absence has also allowed Alexander Zverev to overtake him in the ATP rankings. Who, meanwhile, could receive a reported £1.88 million bonus for finishing as runner-up in the relevant standings. That payout is not yet guaranteed, as the final order depends on results at the Paris Masters and how Zverev fares relative to Arthur Fils. The figures reported by Express UK therefore describe potential outcomes rather than confirmed payments.

The bonus is separate from the prize money Sinner missed by withdrawing from tournaments. He also lost the chance to defend his title at the Paris Masters, where he had collected significant earnings in 2025. Italian financial reporting has put his potential lost tournament income and bonuses considerably higher when those missed opportunities are included, although estimates vary by source.

Sinner’s injury has therefore affected his season in several ways. Still, the immediate decision is about his health. His medical team must establish how his knee responds to a gradual return to training before he can set a reliable comeback date, and Cahill’s future may become clearer as those plans take shape.