Jannik Sinner has finally opened up about one of the most controversial decisions in recent tennis history. The world No. 1 rehired his fitness coach Umberto Ferrara – the same guy who played a key role in his doping case.
This is pretty wild when you think about it.
Sinner originally fired Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol at the 2024 Indian Wells Open. The whole mess eventually led to him getting a three-month suspension.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
How It All Started
Here’s what happened: Ferrara gave Naldi a product containing clostebol to treat a cut on his finger. Naldi then gave Sinner massages without wearing gloves.
Tiny traces of the banned substance got into Sinner’s system through skin contact.
Sinner axed both guys just days before the 2024 US Open, saying he couldn’t trust them anymore. That’s despite knowing about the positive tests months before the story went public.
He brought in Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio instead – two coaches who used to work with Novak Djokovic. Seemed like a solid move at the time.
The Shocking Return
But then Sinner surprised everyone by splitting with Panichi and Badio right before the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
That was nothing compared to what came next.
Sinner rehired Ferrara. The same fitness coach from his doping case.
Tennis fans were absolutely stunned. At first, Sinner didn’t want to talk about it much. But he finally explained his thinking at the 2025 Cincinnati Open.
Sinner’s Explanation
When reporter Ben Rothenberg asked him about it, Sinner was pretty blunt. He thinks Ferrara understands his body better than Panichi did.
"It was a different situation. Now everything is different," Sinner said. "I felt like, at this point, I needed someone who knew my body better. We worked together for about two years before this break. His work has brought me a lot of benefits."
He didn’t hold back about Djokovic’s former coach either.
"We worked on every area of my body: mobility, stability, and even my body’s endurance has improved. I think he did a great job. I also got along well with Marco [Panichi], but maybe he wasn’t the best choice. I’ve always had a good feeling about Umberto."
The Controversy Continues
Look, from a purely tennis perspective, this makes sense. Sinner and Ferrara had built up a solid working relationship over two years. The guy clearly knew how to help Sinner’s game.
But here’s the thing that’s got everyone talking.
Sinner literally said he couldn’t trust Ferrara anymore. Now he’s working with him again? That’s a pretty dramatic change of heart.
Some players in the locker room aren’t happy about it. They think it sends the wrong message about taking anti-doping rules seriously.
Critics say Sinner’s making a mockery of efforts to keep tennis clean. After all, Ferrara was one of the two people directly responsible for the positive test.
Sinner has always maintained he’s completely innocent in this whole situation. He accepted the three-month suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency mainly to put the case behind him and move on with his career.
And honestly? His feeling of innocence is pretty understandable. He didn’t intentionally take anything.
But rehiring Ferrara has definitely opened him up to more criticism. Whether that’ll affect his tennis or not remains to be seen.