Jannik Sinner addresses return of team member he fired over failed doping tests
Jannik Sinner has spoken for the first time since rehiring a team member who he sacked as a result of his positive doping tests in 2024.
Just over a week after Sinner won Wimbledon last month, it was announced that fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara had returned to the Italian star’s team.
“The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open,” a statement from Sinner’s team read.
“Umberto has played an important role in Jannik’s development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level.”
The surprise move came less than a month after Sinner unexpectedly sacked with fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio on the eve of Wimbledon.
It was revealed in August 2024 that Sinner had twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024 — during and after the Indian Wells Masters.
The world No 1 initially avoided a ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that an independent tribunal ruled he bore “no fault or negligence.” Sinner later served a ban from February 9 to May 4 after settling his case with the World Anti-Doping Agency – which had planned to appeal the ITIA’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Ferrara, and Sinner’s former physio Giacomi Naldi, were both fired just before last year’s US Open after news of the two positive tests became public.
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In his pre-tournament press conference at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, Sinner did not offer any further details when asked about his choice to reappoint Ferrara.
“Yeah, I think we said it all, everything in the statement,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said. “I’m very happy to be here and play again this tournament.”
Speaking ahead of the 2024 US Open, Sinner revealed he had lost confidence in Naldi and Ferrara as he addressed their departures.
“I want to start with [saying] that they have been a huge part of my career,” Sinner said.
“We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me. Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them.
“I was struggling a lot in the last months. Now I was waiting for the result, and now I just need some clean air.”
Ferrara initially joined Sinner’s team in 2022.
What role did Ferrara and Naldi play in Sinner’s positive doping tests?
In the report released by the ITIA in August last year, responsibility for Sinner’s failed tests was placed on Ferrara, who was reportedly in charge of Sinner’s anti-doping compliance, and Naldi.
The report stated that Ferrara had given Naldi trofodermin, a spray containing clostebol, to treat a cut on the physio’s hand.
Ferrara had reportedly warned Naldi that the spray contained a prohibited substance, though he was thought to be aware that Naldi usually treated Sinner without using gloves.
It is then alleged that Naldi massaged Sinner after using the spray on a cut on his own finger, therefore causing the contamination.
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