Jannik Sinner has opened up about how his coach Darren Cahill gave him the “best” motivational speech before the US Open final, saying the Australian’s compliment about his parents “had a special effect”.

The Italian comes from a very close-knit family and he has made no secret of the fact that his parents have been key to his tennis success.

Ahead of his second Grand Slam final appearance, Cahill gave Sinner a reminder of just how proud his parents Johann and Siglinde Sinner are of his achievements.

And it did the trick as the 23-year-old dominated the match against Taylor Fritz on Arthur Ashe Stadium as he won 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to lift his second major following his success at the Australian Open at the start of the year.

Sinner has revealed how Cahill inspired him before the US Open showpiece match.

“The best compliment I got was from Darren before the final,” the world No 1 said. “He said: ‘Do you know who the two people who are most proud of you are? Your parents.’ That gave me chills. Him being a father, it had a special effect on me because he knows exactly what I’ve been through.”

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In an appearance on the Today Show, the Italian also paid tribute to his maternal aunt who is all as he decided his US Open title to her.

“She is very important. She struggles with health at the moment. You can’t really do anything, so it’s a tough moment not only for me, because it’s also the sister of my mom, so all things considered, it’s not an easy moment for our family,” Sinner explained.

“But in another way, I tried to bring something positive home and tried to give her a little bit of strength. I don’t know how much it can help, but I just try my best.”

Cahill, meanwhile, believes Sinner has proven with his latest Grand Slam title that he now has a “champion mindset”.

The Italian needed five sets to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final, but was in control from start to finish against Fritz at the US Open.

“This morning he practised well. This morning we were talking to Andre Agassi in the locker room. He was talking about his game, and his mentality, and his composure also in the big moments,” Cahill said on ESPN.

“Even when he was tested in that third set, I still felt like he felt like he could get back into it and turn it around which he was able to do. So, he’s got this champion mindset that I think a lot of players don’t have. Certain players do have it for sure. But I believe he was born with it and he loves those situations and those moments.”

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