"I thought it was a secret" - Boris Becker reveals why he refused the offer to coach Jannik Sinner, takes credit for suggesting Darren Cahill instead

Boris Becker recently revealed why he refused the offer to coach Jannik Sinner. Instead, the German claimed credit for suggesting that the 24-year-old reach out to Darren Cahill.

Becker is largely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. His career saw him win six Grand Slam titles, 13 ATP Masters 1000, and an Olympic gold medal. He was also ranked No.1 in the world for 12 weeks.

In January 2022, there were reports that Boris Becker would be the next coach of Jannik Sinner, and the German recently weighed in on these rumors, telling Corriere della Sera,

"I thought it was a secret, I never talked about it. It's true."

He went on to add that his London court case prevented him from taking the Italian up on the offer, and he suggested that Sinner reach out to Darren Cahill instead, saying,

"Two months later, I was waiting for the London ruling. I told Jannik: I don't know how it'll end, I can't make the commitment. But I didn't want to leave him stranded, so I gave him a couple of names: one was Darren Cahill. For me, the best.”

Becker’s suggestion has certainly paid off. Since beginning their partnership in July 2022, Cahill had led Sinner to four Grand Slam trophies as well as the World No.1 ranking.

Boris Becker weighs in on Jannik Sinner's decision to skip the Davis Cup

Sinner at the Rolex Paris Masters 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

Jannik Sinner is undoubtedly the best Italian men’s singles player at the moment and he recently decided to opt out of the 2025 Davis Cup Finals. The 24-year-old caught plenty of flak for his decision, with Italian veteran Nicola Pietrangeli heavily criticizing his choice.

In his interview with Corriere della Sera, Boris Becker weighed in on Sinner’d decision, saying,

“I read that there was a stir. I understand Nicola Pietrangeli disapproves. I won the Davis Cup twice, in '88 and '89: I didn't play the following year. I needed an extra week of rest and I felt I'd done enough for my country. Just like Jannik."

He went on to emphasize that tennis was an individual sport and a busy schedule can pose the risk of injury for a player, saying,

"We tend to forget that tennis is an individual sport. It's damned hard to stay at the top. If someone gets injured, their career is at risk. You saw Rune: he ruptured his Achilles tendon. In Italy, everyone wants a little piece of Sinner.”

On the tennis end of things, Jannik Sinner was most recently seen in action at the ATP Tour Finals. The 24-year-old clinched a second consecutive title at the event, with his win propelling him back to the World No.1 position.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya