Jannik Sinner has shocked the tennis world by bringing back Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach. This is the same guy who played a key role in Sinner’s doping scandal.
It’s a pretty stunning move that nobody saw coming.
Back at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, Sinner tested positive for clostebol twice. The tennis world didn’t find out about it until five months later, just days before the 2024 US Open.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
Here’s what actually happened: Sinner’s physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi had been giving him massages after using a product that contained traces of clostebol. And Ferrara? He’s the one who gave that substance to Naldi in the first place.
When the doping story broke, Sinner immediately fired both Ferrara and Naldi. The world No. 1 said he was grateful for everything they’d done for his career, but he just couldn’t trust them anymore after what happened.
A lot of people questioned why Sinner didn’t get rid of them right away when he first learned about the positive tests. Instead, he kept them around for another five months until the story went public.
That timing seemed really strange to many observers.
Sinner ended up serving a three-month suspension that ran from February until just before the 2025 Italian Open in May. Ferrara and Naldi? They didn’t face any consequences at all.
After splitting from his old team, Sinner brought in Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio as replacements. These guys had worked successfully with Novak Djokovic before, and Sinner’s fitness improved noticeably under their guidance.
That’s why everyone was so shocked when Sinner suddenly parted ways with Panichi and Badio right before the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
He didn’t give much explanation about why he made that decision.
Now we’re starting to understand his reasoning. Ferrara’s return was officially announced with a pretty brief statement that didn’t mention anything about the doping case.
"Jannik Sinner has reappointed Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach with immediate effect. The decision has been made in realignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. 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."
Sinner withdrew from the 2025 Canadian Open along with Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. That means he probably won’t face questions about this bombshell until the Cincinnati Open starts in two weeks.
When he does talk to reporters, fans will finally get some answers about what drove him to make such a controversial decision.
He had to know this would bring his doping case right back into the headlines.
Sinner has always maintained his innocence. Even the World Anti-Doping Agency, which handed down his three-month ban, never disputed that he had no idea the clostebol was entering his system.
While Sinner was never found guilty of deliberately doping, working again with one of the people who caused his nightmare is really unexpected.
Other players might find this move pretty distasteful – even those who’ve been supportive of Sinner throughout his ordeal.
