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Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill lauded Daniil Medvedev for his grueling Australian Open run while also adding that the Russian "must be hurting big-time."
Medvedev, who lost to Sinner 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in a nearly four-hour marathon final on Sunday, January 28, also had his back to the wall against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals after losing the first two sets before mounting a comeback and winning in five sets.
The World No. 3 had played another five-setter against Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals before going on to set a record for the maximum hours spent on court at a Grand Slam.
Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill praised Medvedev's resilience during the post-match press conference. He was quoted as saying:
"Daniil went to hell and back in this tournament. What he put himself through physically. I didn't think he was going to beat Zverev, and he was able to come through that one."
"There's been a lot of other matches where he was up against it, had his back against the wall, and he just continues to push himself and fights until the last point. Physically I can't even imagine how he's feeling. He must be hurting big-time," the Aussie coach added.
Despite going down to Jannik Sinner after having won the first two sets, Cahill asserted that the 2021 US Open champion would have more chances to win Grand Slams in the future.
"Again, I give him a ton of credit not just for the way he played today but mentally just fighting until the last point. That's why he's already a Grand Slam champion, that's why he's had many chances to win more Grand Slams, and that's why he's going to have many more chances," the 58-year-old said.
"Carlos Alcaraz has trailblazed for a lot of young players" - Jannik Sinner's coach credits the Spaniard for driving his protege to Grand Slam win
When asked if two-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz had driven Jannik Sinner to win his first-ever Major at Melbourne, Darren Cahill replied in the affirmative.
Cahill explained that young players were driven by each other's success while also adding that Carlos Alcaraz was the trailblazer for the current generation.
Alcaraz, who won the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Cahill, himself a doubles finalist at the 1989 Australian Open, said about the Spaniard:
"Hell, yeah. Absolutely. There's no question seeing the young players come through and having success drives each and every one of them. Not just Jannik. They all desire it. They all want it. If they see one of their compatriots or someone of their generation having success, absolutely."
"Carlos has trailblazed for a lot of young players. We're thankful for that. He's a delight to watch play, and a delight to watch him on court. We aspire to be as good as him and hopefully one day be better than him, but at the moment we're chasing Carlos, and we'll continue to do that," Cahill added at the same press conference.
Jannik Sinner became the third Italian to win a Grand Slam title following his 2024 Australian Open triumph.
