"Five seasons. I won’t forget a single day of them. Thank you, mate, for everything" - Jannik Sinner and Darren Cahill officially split following successful stint

The news that has been imminent for some time has finally been confirmed. Jannik Sinner and Darren Cahill have gone their separate ways following a hugely successful stint for the pair. The 61-year-old will now retire from coaching.

Joining the team in July 2022, Cahill formed a glorious partnership with Sinner's other coach Simone Vagnozzi. They formed a great team bond and had their separate responsibilities when it came to their Italian prodigy.

They oversaw his immense rise up the sporting ranks. Once a prominent young talent, he soon started to make an impression with some deep runs at Grand Slam and Masters 1000 level. His major breakthrough came a couple of months after losing in the final of the 2023 ATP Finals. He defeated Daniil Medvedev to win the Australian Open at the start of 2024 and later that year would debut as World No.1.

In this time period, he cemented himself as one of the best players in the world. He and rival Carlos Alcaraz were, and when fit, still the dominant force in men's tennis. Their battles were legendary on the court.

Under Cahill, Sinner would win another four Grand Slam titles, with the Aussie agreeing to stay on in the 2026 season after initially deciding to call it a day at the end of 2025. There were rumours that he could stay on with Sinner after the 25-year-old had since been struck down with a frustrating knee injury. His last venture on court came at Wimbledon, where he successfully defended his title. However, he would soon cancel a number of tournaments before culminating his season, sacrificing his World No.1 spot and title defence in Paris and Turin.

Over four years of highs, lows and triumphant achievements. Sinner and Cahill grew a legacy together that formed one of the best players of this generation. On Instagram, Sinner confirmed the news that Cahill was out of the door in a poignant message.

"Darren, when we started working together in 2022, I was just a skinny young Italian guy with a lot of questions," he began. "You never gave me all the answers; you helped me find them myself. You came in as one of my coaches, but pretty quickly you became a lot more than that. Someone I could trust, someone I could rely on, a friend.

"Melbourne, the first Slam, number one, Wimbledon – I could keep going. We’ve been through so much together. You told me you would stop after 2025, and somehow I couldn’t seem to get rid of you."

The trophies are nice, but there is much more beneath the surface. "But the trophies aren’t what I’ll remember the most. It’s everything around them: the long hours on the practice court, the flights, the dinners, the love. Even the days when everything felt heavy, you were there for all of it.

"I always knew I was in good hands. Not just me, but everyone who travels with us and everyone behind the scenes. With you, we are more than a team. You’ve taught me a lot. That tennis is important, but it’s not everything. That being a good player starts with being a good person. And that complicated things can be simple. I hope I taught you something too, like how to hit a golf ball."

It will be different for Sinner on court, not having Cahill in his camp. "I’m going to miss looking up after a big point and seeing you in my box. This season didn’t end the way we wanted, but that doesn’t change what we did or what these years mean to me."

He was hugely grateful for everything that he had done for him. "To your family, thank you for sharing Darren with us. I know what I’d ask of you, and I don’t take it for granted. So much of who I am, as a player and as a person, I owe to you. Five seasons. I won’t forget a single day of them. Thank you, mate, for everything. It’s been a privilege."

Sinner will move on to Stan Wawrinka's former coach Magnus Norman as he looks to continue developing as a tennis player. For now, the questions are all about the present, about his injury. After missing the second half of 2026, he will hope to bounce back with a bang at the start of 2027 with the tennis world gazing on at Sinner's next move.