Jannik Sinner has brought on board two former coaches of Novak Djokovic as he reorganizes his support team following a doping scandal.
Sinner recently celebrated his second Grand Slam victory at the US Open, but the tournament was marked by controversy as he narrowly avoided a doping ban just before it began. Despite testing positive twice for clostebol, a steroid that can enhance muscle growth, a tribunal controversially cleared him after determining that the substance entered his system due to a bare-handed massage.
The 23-year-old was allowed to compete while under investigation, although the favorable ruling drew significant criticism from many, including Nick Kyrgios. Throughout this ordeal, Sinner maintained his innocence and ultimately dismissed trainer Umberto Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, who were implicated in the contamination incident.
“Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling confident continuing with them. What I need right now is just some clean air,” Sinner stated during that time. “I struggled a lot in recent months. After waiting for the results, I just need some peace.”
Jannik Sinner has made significant changes to his support staff following his recent doping controversy. The Italian world No. 1 has hired two new team members who previously worked with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Sinner announced on Instagram that he has welcomed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio to his team. Panichi collaborated with Djokovic from 2017 until May 2024, while Badio was part of the Serb’s camp for over five years before departing at the end of 2022.
The additions of Panichi and Badio come as Sinner parted ways with his previous fitness coach Umberto Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi. Sinner lost trust in these two staff members after it was revealed that Ferrara had procured a spray containing the banned substance clostebol in Italy, which Naldi then used to treat a finger cut before massaging Sinner without gloves. This led to Sinner’s positive doping tests in March, although he was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
Sinner will continue working with osteopath Andrea Cipolla, while Panichi and Badio will join coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill in the new-look Team Sinner. The 23-year-old is set to travel with his revamped team to the upcoming ATP 500 event in Beijing and the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai.
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