Jannik Sinner explains changes to his team amid doping case saga as Boris Becker gives his verdict
Jannik Sinner has confirmed two members of his team have left because they made the “mistakes” leading to his two failed drug tests.
The Italian star credited the duo for having been “a huge part” of his career, but admitted the decision was made as he was “not feeling that confident to continue with them.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) revealed on Tuesday that Sinner had failed two anti-doping tests, but he has avoided a ban after it was ruled he bore “no fault or negligence.”
Sinner tested positive for low levels of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, during and after the Indian Wells Masters: on March 10 and 18.
The ITIA accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance had accidentally entered his system via a product one of his team had used to treat a small wound.
The 23-year-old learned of the doping violations in April and was allowed to continue playing after appealing the automatic provisional suspension issued for both tests.
Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill recently revealed physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi and fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara would no longer be part of the Italian’s team.
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Jannik Sinner makes ‘worried’ admission in first interview since failed drug tests news
In an interview with ESPN, Cahill gave insight into how the positive tests had occurred and the role both Naldi and Ferrara played.
“In March at Indian Wells, Giacomo Naldi injured his hand with a tool to remove calluses from feet, there was a rather large cut on his little finger,” said the Australian.
“Jannik saw Naldi’s injured finger for the first time in the evening and asked him if he had used creams or other treatments for the finger, Naldi replied no, which was the truth at that time.
“Then Naldi met Ferrara who gave him a spray that was quite common in Italy, I didn’t know it. There are few cases of Italian players testing positive for the substance in this particular spray.
“Even during the following week, Naldi continued to use that spray for his injured finger, without us knowing, and through the treatments he transmitted it to Sinner.
“This is the summary of the story, everyone must know that Sinner has no active role in this story, he didn’t ingest anything, he didn’t take any bars, and he is positive only due this connection between Naldi’s spray and the treatments received on his feet.”
Speaking to the media ahead of the US Open, Sinner expressed his appreciation for Naldi and Ferrara’s work, but conceded they had been to blame for the failed tests.
“I want to start with [saying] that they have been a huge part of my career,” the world No 1 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.”
In a post on X, six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker backed Sinner for parting ways with the duo by saying: “Good decision from Jannik!”
On the news of his failed tests breaking ahead of the 2024 US Open, Sinner added: “Of course it’s not ideal before a Grand Slam but in my mind I know that I haven’t done anything wrong.
“I had to play already months with this in my head. I’m just happy that it’s finally out because it’s one kind of relief also for me and my team, which is still here.”
Despite the ruling, Sinner has lost the 400 ATP Ranking points and $325,000 in prize money he gained for reaching the semi-finals in Indian Wells.
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