Sinner rehires the fitness coach he fired for playing role in doping case

ROME (AP) — Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has rehired Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach nearly a year after firing him for his role in the top-ranked player’s doping case.

The move comes after Sinner recently removed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio from his team.

"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,” a statement from Sinner’s team said Wednesday.

No further reasons were given for why Ferrara was rehired, other than that “the decision has been made in alignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments” and that he starts with “immediate effect.”

The latest shakeup in Sinner's team began after he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a grueling five-set final at the French Open last month, with the announcement that Panichi and Badio were no longer working with him. When Sinner went on to beat Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, he didn’t have full-time trainers working with him.

Last year, Sinner tested positive twice for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March; the case wasn’t made public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he ended up winning for the second of his four Grand Slam titles.

He initially was completely cleared, based on the defense that he accidentally was exposed to the banned substance, Clostebol, via a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Sinner said his fitness trainer at the time, Ferrara, purchased a product in Italy and gave it to Naldi for a cut on Naldi’s finger. Naldi then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves.

Sinner then fired Naldi and Ferrara, and Ferrara was hired briefly by Matteo Berrettini, another Italian player.

The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the exoneration, and Sinner agreed to serve a three-month ban that ended right before the Italian Open in May of this year.

Sinner will return to action at the Cincinnati Open next month as he prepares to defend his U.S. Open title. He was due to resume training at his base in Monte Carlo this week after a post-Wimbledon break.

Ferrara, who is also a qualified pharmacist, was first hired by Sinner in 2022.

Naldi has not been rehired by Sinner.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis