Jannik Sinner’s Ex-Physio Makes ‘It Hurts So Much’ Admission After World No.1 Re-Hires Umberto Ferrara Despite Doping Scandal

Jannik Sinner will be working with his fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, whom he had fired last year because of the doping scandal.

Jannik Sinner’s Ex-Physio Makes ‘It Hurts So Much’ Admission After World No.1 Re-Hires Umberto Ferrara Despite Doping Scandal

Jannik Sinner, Giacomo Naldi, Umberto Ferrara (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Giovanni Pelazzo)

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Jannik Sinner has re-hired fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara, who was involved in the doping controversy that shook the tennis world last year. Sinner’s former physio, Giacomo Naldi, has made his feelings known on the tennis ace’s decision.

The entire thing started when Ferrara bought a spray from Italy and recommended it to Naldi because he had a cut on his finger. The spray had banned anabolic steroid clostebol, and Naldi inadvertently contaminated Sinner during physiotherapy sessions.

Later, Sinner failed doping tests twice, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acquitted him of all doping charges, causing a huge uproar in the tennis world. Sinner then fired both Ferrara and Naldi from his team.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) challenged ITIA’s verdict and took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), demanding that the Italian ace face a ban of between one and two years. When the scheduled hearing was looming, WADA, to everyone’s surprise, withdrew the appeal, banning the World No.1 for just three months.

After his return, Sinner played three finals, including at the French Open and Wimbledon, losing the former and winning the latter, against his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz. Before Wimbledon, he ended his partnership with physio Ulises Badio and fitness trainer Marco Panichi, both of whom joined his team last year.

Sinner has not yet hired a physio, but he once again will be working with Ferrara. Naldi, when asked about the same by Repubblica, chose to keep mum at present.

Here we go again. Now the nightmare begins again, like last summer. I have no intention of commenting. It’s a story that has made me too sad; it has damaged my image.

Ferrara had claimed in an interview that he had warned Naldi about the presence of the banned drug. Sinner, after sacking Ferrara and Naldi last year, said that because of their “mistakes“, he was not feeling confident to continue with them.

When the time is right, we’ll talk about everything calmly. I don’t want to ruin this holiday, too. Right now, I just want to be left alone. I prefer not to comment. Maybe one day I will, but right now it hurts too much.

Giacomo Naldi added

Goran Ivanisevic on who will win more Grand Slam titles between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have so far won a combined nine Grand Slam titles. Eight of the last nine Majors have been won by them, with Novak Djokovic being the last player other than them to emerge as a winner in this category (2023 US Open).

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (3)
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

Djokovic’s former coach Goran Ivanisevic recently, in an interview, called Sinner the better player than Alcaraz. In another interview, the Croatian coach was asked who between the two young rivals would win more. He told Clay Tenis and RG Media:

A lot, because they’ll share it between them. The question is how much longer Novak will play- he’s the only one who can make their lives difficult. But they’re young, they’ll play ten more years. And they have no competition.

Ivanisevic pointed out that at present, no player is there to challenge the World No.1 and the World No.2, comparing their era to that of the Big 3 (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer), who used to face tough challenges from Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Juan Martin del Potro.

Djokovic, Sinner, and Alcaraz will next be participating in the Cincinnati Masters. Sinner will be entering the tournament as the defending champion (beat Frances Tiafoe last year). Djokovic skipped the event last year, while Alcaraz suffered an early exit.

Also read: Martina Navratilova Doffs Her Hat to Venus Williams for Silencing Critics at the Washington Open