Jannik Sinner announced himself as the new superstar of tennis after the World No.1 won the Australian Open 2024, the first Grand Slam of his career. The 22-year-old credited a lot of his success since 2023 to his coach Darren Cahill. While Cahill’s net worth is estimated to be around the $5 million mark, it is his joke on ‘crappy pay’ which went viral at last year’s Happy Slam.
Cahill, in a press conference at the Australian Open 2024, lightheartedly said that Sinner has paid him less and smartly takes away a lot of his earnings when they play cards as a past-time. However, the reason behind it being a joke mostly is because Cahill has been amongst the best coaches in the world since a long time.
Normally, coaches in top-tier tennis make an average of $200,000 per year depending on the player they are with as well as their own credentials. They tend to take a cut anywhere between 5-15% of their player’s earnings. Since 2022, Cahill has been coaching Sinner and during this time, the Italian’s prize money winnings on court and endorsements off court have risen astronomically.
In 2024 alone, Sinner earned an incredible $19,735,703 in prize money. So in that season, Cahill would have likely earned a whopping $2 million (approximately) if 10% of that amount is taken. In 2023, Sinner made $2.1 million, which means that Cahill would have probably breached the $200,000 mark that season. So it is likely that Cahill, by coaching just Sinner, has made around $2.5 million.
And this figure is set to rise possibly by $200,000 for Cahill as Sinner took home an impressive $2.2 million from his Australian Open 2025 win.
Remarkably, the number is super close to what Goran Ivanisevic, a former World No.1, earned during his six seasons of coaching a superstar like Novak Djokovic. A Serbian media outlet had reported last year that Goran had earned approximately $500,000 per season, which would work up to $3 million. Taking Djokovic’s years of winning massive prize money amounts, it would not be 10% of that value.
Additionally, Cahill’s earnings with Sinner are far more than what he made as a professional player some decades ago, as he had made $1,349,247 throughout his career.
Cahill has decided that 2025 will be his last season as Sinner’s coach. So even after this stint, he could look to increase his income with more broadcasting stints on TV like he does with ESPN at the US Open every year. Another way for him to up those earnings is with private coaching clinics.
Sinner hails Cahill for his impact
Sinner admitted in an interview before that famous press conference in Melbourne last year that that bringing in the Aussie into his team was a massive risk, but was glad that it paid off.
Prior to winning the Australian Open 2024, the Italian won the ATP’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award in 2023.
During Italy’s famous Davis Cup run, Sinner said that Cahill has changed his mentality and helped him perform better in big matches.
“I think he was really important for me, for how I was growing as a player, because I feel like he gave me a lot of confidence in one way.
“Obviously gave something new to the team. Mostly I think the combination with him and with Simone [Vagnozzi] and with all the whole team is really, really nice.”
Cahill and Simeone Vagnozzi formed a remarkable partnership to guide Sinner to greater heights. The duo found the right wavelength and helped Sinner take his game to the next level.
The Australian has been behind Sinner like a rock, amidst speculations that the World No.1 was involved in doping last season. Although Sinner was cleared by the ITIA of any wrongdoing in its verdict, the controversy surrounding it has not died down. In April, Sinner would have a hearing at CAS against WADA, which has called for a 2-year ban on him.
If Sinner is banned, that could mean the end of the partnership with Cahill. Regardless, Cahill will go down as one of the best coaches ever in the sport, considering his success with the likes of Andre Agassi in the past too.
