Original Sinner: Jannik leads the revolution tennis had to have

Baaaaack! And, like you, I am looking forward to the year of sport ahead. Look, if I can sell you a bridge, and you can get over it, I am sure we will see the beginnings of the renaissance of the Wallabies!

There will also be, more credibly, a “four-on-the-floor” for the Penrith Panthers; the Matildas tearing ’em up at the Paris Olympics, and Alex de Minaur making a breakthrough at Wimbledon.

As to the summer in review, the biggest event, of course, was the Australian Open which saw the breakthrough victory of Italian Jannik Sinner winning his first grand slam event, stunningly, after coming from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in a thriller.

The joy of it wasn’t just that the hugely likeable Sinner won, it was the absence of Novak Djokovic from even the final. In fact, you need to go back to 2005 when Lleyton Hewitt lost to Marat Safin that you had a previous Australian Open Final that didn’t contain anyone called Federer, Nadal or Djokovic.

Yes, Djokovic’s 24 majors say he is the GOAT, and good luck to him. It was the great American basketballer Wilt Chamberlain who said, “Nobody roots for Goliath,” and though Djokovic is a giant of the sport, were we really going to get that excited about a 25th major?

The arrival of Sinner on the scene feels like the gust of fresh air tennis desperately needed. Sinner himself was clear that he wants the old fogies gone: “I think the next generation is something that this sport needs and it’s also a little bit of a game-changer.”

Jannik Sinner basks in the glory of his Australian Open win in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens on Monday.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

And just where did Sinner come from? Step into the next panel.

Coach Cahill in rarefied air

See, Sinner’s coach is Australia’s own Darren Cahill, a former player of some note himself, who has already coached Lleyton Hewitt to be the world’s youngest No.1, and Andre Agassi to be the oldest, while also guiding Simona Halep to the same position. On the face of things, Sinner just might end up as the jewel in his crown.

Credit: John Shakespeare

Cahill bases much of his coaching philosophy on that espoused by his famous father, John Cahill, who was the long-time and legendary coach of the Port Adelaide AFL club. He wants work ethic, generosity of spirit to all, and focus – less a slavish devotion to winning at all costs than getting everything else right, in which case the winning will come.

And here’s the most interesting thing. In Sinner’s victory press conference, he noted “Darren and I talk about normal things, not always about tennis. Then 20 minutes before the match, we talk about tactics, how to handle certain situations.”

I asked Cahill the obvious: What on earth did you talk to him about that was not about tennis?

“I gave him a football story,” Cahill replied. “I told him about the 1994 [South Australian competition] grand final, when Port Adelaide was struggling against the [Woodville-West Torrens] Eagles, and Dad gave a famous speech, mostly to star forward Scotty Hodges, who hadn’t been scoring: ‘Even if things are not going well for you, you’ve done the work’!

Jannik Sinner celebrates with Darren Cahill after the men’s singles final.Credit: Getty

“So have the belief, and trust in the fact that if you keep working and keep giving your best, we’re all proud of you, and no matter what the result is – what will be, will be – don’t leave any stone unturned trying to get the win because that’s what we’re here for.

“If you keep going, keep believing, things will turn for you.′ Scotty went out and kicked five goals in the final quarter to win the match.”

Darren forgot to mention one thing. Hodges was also Cahill’s son-in-law!

When I asked Cahill snr about it, he was very pleased to say that is exactly the way the speech and the result went, though acknowledges that he did add one other thing.

“I said to him, ‘Scott, you have done nothing for three quarters. You have five minutes to show me something. Otherwise, you are off the ground!’”

Andre Agassi worked with Darren Cahill.Credit: Ray Kennedy

Now, that’s more like it!

As to the success of his son as a coach, Mr Cahill’s response would bring a tear to a glass eye: “I am proud of my son for all he has achieved, but more importantly he is a good person and a great family man.”

RAH!

Three cheers for Shamar. RAH! RAH! RAH!

The absolute best story of the summer though? Come on down, Windies fast bowler, Shamar Joseph. Just when you think modern sport has no more romance left, along comes a bloke from the tiny village of Baracara in Guyana who, growing up, barely touched an actual cricket ball. Rather, he had learnt his trade by hurling limes, lemons and guavas, as well as “balls” he and his cousin made from melted plastic bottles.

Then, three years ago, they got him to the Big Smoke of New Amsterdam, Guyana – nearly 20,000 people! – and give him a practice go with a real ball at the local cricket ground.

Shamar Joseph starred for the West Indies.Credit: Getty

With his first delivery, he fractured the wicket-keeper’s hand, and the rest, as they say, is history. In his first delivery in Test cricket, a fortnight ago, he takes the wicket of our own Steve Smith. But he was still only warming up!

For then, last Sunday, there was the 24-year-old tearaway, going through the Australian line-up like a swinging scythe through prize-winning roses, taking 7-68 in the final innings for the Windies to win by eight runs.

If Sinner is what tennis needs, Shamar Joseph is what Test cricket needs. He has single-handedly turned the Windies into a force again, and long may he and the Windies prosper.

Measured thoughts meet rambling naysayers

The biggest beat-up of the summer? Too easy, Campese. That would be all the carry-on over the Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins saying Australia could maybe pick a better date for our day of national celebration than the one which commemorates our establishment as a colony which, ipso facto, was also the beginning of the dispossession of the people of the First Nations.

In fact, Cummins didn’t even go that far. He merely said the bleeding obvious: “I absolutely love Australia, it is the best country in the world by a mile and I think we should have an Australia Day, but I think we can probably find a more appropriate day to celebrate. Once you start realising Jan 26 and why it is chosen, Australia Day is meant to be a celebration of everything Australia and our history. [So] we could choose a better date.”

Happily, he was joined by Steve Smith.

“I was speaking to Scott Boland about this just the other day and as Australians, you want all Australians to celebrate that day. All Australians don’t, the way it is at the moment. Maybe that is the way forward, [changing it], to have all Australians celebrating on that day.”

All of it was straightforward stuff, if not yet representative of the views of all of Australia. It is certainly, a very common view of their generation – who get it, much better than older generations. Tragi-comically both of them were then accused of everything up to treason by the trolls – some of whom making a living out of it – insisting they should hand back their baggy greens, etc.

Neither Smith nor Cummins blinked, confident of their positions, as they should be. But when the modern equivalents of Dennis Lillee and Ian Chappell say the date should change, you can believe its days are numbered.

A big step forward, but still not enough

Finally, bravo the new guidelines released by the AIS this week, strongly recommending that everyone take at least a 21-day break after suffering a concussion. The move was welcomed by most, including the world’s foremost concussion awareness advocate, Dr Chris Nowinski, the co-founder of the Boston Brain Bank, who frequently visits Australia.

Nowinski did make the point to me on Friday, however, that “The best reform we can make to prevent concussion and CTE is to eliminate repetitive head impacts in sports until age 14. Our campaign ‘Stop Hitting Kids in the Head’ encourages sports to have a youth version that eliminates preventable head impacts and high-risk activities that inevitably result in high-impact head hits – no tackling in rugby, no bumping in AFL, no heading in soccer.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Shamar Joseph on leading the West Indies to victory at the Gabba and levelling the series 1-1: “When was the last time we beat Australia? I can’t even remember. I feel like we’ve won the series. Even though it’s 1-1, I feel like we’ve won the entire series.”

Pat Cummins being notably gracious about the first Test loss to the Windies in 27 years: “They’ve been fantastic, they created a couple of new superstars that we didn’t know about before the series and as a cricket fan, as a Test-match cricket fan, there’s a part of me that was happy to watch.”

Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald on the recent woes of Marnus Labuschagne, who averaged just over six against the Windies: “I think the positive within that [is that] the law of averages suggests that he’s due for a couple of bumper Test matches and series.”

Daniil Medvedev on his fifth loss in six grand slam singles finals: “But you have to try to find positives — and the positive is, well, the final is better than the semi-final and quarters.”

Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev show their respect for each other after their five-set final.Credit: Eddie Jim

Medvedev, on his total time on court across seven rounds being a record: “But at least I got a record in something. I’m in the history books for something. Let’s take it!”

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell after their meltdown caused them to miss out on playing in their first Super Bowl: “When you lose that way, it’s hard. You feel like you get your heart ripped out. But I’m proud of that group and I’ll go anywhere with that group.” Coach? Call them ”this group”, or “our group”, not “that group.” It’ll make you tighter. Like Muhammad Ali said once to that group at Harvard, when asked to give them a poem: “Me. We.”

Young Aussie sprinter Torrie Lewis on breaking the national record for 100m: “I didn’t know my time. I looked for the clock, but I heard this big gasp and the next thing all the girls were running to me and saying ‘you have the record’.”

Ben Simmons – he’s alive! – on if he was happy with his performance after returning to the Nets from injury: “We got the win, so yes. That’s the main objective for me, and that’s really all I care about.” And then he missed the next game - with injury.

Torrie Lewis set a new Australian record.Credit: AAP

Welsh rugby player George North on if he ever considered switching to league: “When I was sipping a gin and tonic in the Sydney sunshine it did cross my mind. But that was off the high of a series win. For me, it’s always been about rugby and Wales. It’s always been about the Three Feathers.”

Steve Smith in response to the critics of him opening: “Now I’m averaging 60 as an opener. It was just another position; I’ve battled against the new ball numerous times, coming in early. I’ve enjoyed the first couple of weeks of it ... if they see fit to move me back down, I’ll do whatever the team needs.”

Jon Rahm on his LIV Golf team – “Legion XIII”: “We’ve come a long way in a short period of time and are extremely proud of the team and brand we are building ... I wanted to go down the warrior spirit mythology side. I was thinking Gladiator. We were thinking when the Spanish Armada in that aspect of history. Even though it sunk and failed miserably, the name is cool, right?” Honestly? Just shoot me. More appropriately, take my head off in Riyadh Square, Saudi Arabia.

Team of the week

Jannik Sinner. Last Sunday evening just the third Italian man to win a grand slam title and the first since Adriano Panatta won the French Open in 1976.

Chiefs and 49ers. Are to contest Super Bowl LVIII next week in Las Vegas. The way Peter V’landys is surely telling it, this just a warm-up for the coming NRL season opener!

Rohan Bopanna. After 61 attempts with 19 partners, the 43-year-old Indian finally won a men’s doubles grand slam title when he combined with Aussie Matthew Ebden.

Joe Schmidt. New Wallabies coach

Daniil Medvedev. Is the first person in grand slam history to lose multiple finals after winning the first two sets.

Imran Khan. The cricket legend and former prime minister of Pakistan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on what – from this distance – appear to be trumped-up charges.

Melbourne Rebels. They are now experiencing pretty much what the Swans did in the early ’90s in Sydney. If you can’t put a winning team on the field in a market that is not your natural territory, you’re irrelevant and thus invisible.

Tweet of the week

Ben Rothenberg X @BenRothenberg: “What an unreal feat by Darren Cahill, winning slams coaching men (Hewitt, Agassi), then a woman (Halep), then a man again (Sinner). Players from four distinct generations, cultures, and playing styles. His versatility as a coach is unprecedented.”

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.