Jannik Sinner details his shot that ‘needs improvement’ at Australian Open | ATP Tour
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Sinner details his shot that ‘needs improvement’ at Australian Open
The world No.2 believes his serve still has untapped potential
January 20, 2026
Phil Walter/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner is the two-time defending Australian Open champion.
Jerome Coombe
Even if you’re the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP rankings and a two-time defending Australian Open champion, there’s always room for improvement. Just ask Jannik Sinner.
The 24-year-old advanced to the second round at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, with Hugo Gaston withdrawing and Sinner leading 6-2, 6-1 after 68 minutes. After the game, Sinner went into depth about the technical adjustments he made to his serve at the end of last season and throughout the offseason. He believes this type of stroke still has untapped potential.
“This is not only [since] U.S. Open,” Sinner said when asked about the timestamp of his serve change. “I feel like the serve was and still is an area that I need to improve on. This is our only chance to do everything ourselves. There is still a lot of room for improvement.
“We changed the motion and rhythm of the serve a little bit. It used to be a little too fast at the beginning. Now it’s a little slower. The toss is usually a little more in front, a little more to the right. Now it’s a little more back, over the head.”
These improvements come despite Sinner becoming the service leader in 2025, according to Infosys ATP Statistics. This statistic examines a player’s service dominance through indicators such as first-serve points, service efficiency, and service points. This is an area of strength where he has won six times during the season, highlighted by his second consecutive Nitto ATP Finals crown.
Yet for the Italian, marginal gains on serve could be decisive as he looks to maintain his dominance and pursue his long-term goal of regaining the world number one spot from rival Carlos Alcaraz.
“Sometimes I still lose it [the toss]. It’s not a shot that I feel very safe about,” Sinner continued. “But at the same time, we’re working on it. It’s one of, if not the most important lens we have because it gives you a lot of great stuff. So let’s see how I serve this season. “
In addition to the technical elements, Sinner continues to invest in the mental aspects of the game, maintaining a close working relationship with renowned mental coach Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli. They established consistent conversations aimed at fine-tuning Sinner’s mentality at different stages of the season.
“We’re in contact, trying to understand and work on something,” Sinner said of Ceccarelli. “I take my home shirt with me so whenever I need to train I can use it if I want to.
“It changes over time: how I feel, what my mental state is. Of course, there’s some room for improvement. I’m always in touch with him. It’s good to have a stable guy, and he understands me better now. We’ll understand each other better in time. I understand his work ethic. We’re working on that.”
Sinner aims to become the second person in the Open era to win consecutive Australian Open titles, after Novak Djokovic, who achieved the feat again in 2011-13 and 2019-21. The Italian’s next opponent in Melbourne is Australian wildcard James Duckworth, who Sinner leads 2-1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series.
