Jannik Sinner cruised to another win at the 2025 China Open, but there’s a small worry brewing about his health.
The world No. 2 beat Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 7-5 in their quarterfinal match, staying on track for his third straight China Open final. He won the whole thing back in 2023 and came pretty close last year before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in a nail-biter.
Marozsan actually had his chances. He was serving for the second set and could’ve forced a third.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
But Sinner had other plans. He won 12 of the next 13 points to slam the door shut and book his spot in Tuesday’s semifinal against Alex de Minaur.
The Ice Pack That Got Everyone Talking
Here’s where things get interesting. Footage from Sinner’s warm-up shows two team members wrapping an ice pack around his right elbow while he was on an exercise bike.
Sinner didn’t look like he was in serious pain or anything. But getting ice applied isn’t exactly part of his usual routine.
This isn’t the first time his elbow’s been a problem. The four-time Grand Slam champion dealt with elbow issues during his run to the 2025 Wimbledon title just a couple months ago. He still managed to beat Alcaraz in that final, so he knows how to play through it.
Then there was that weird moment at the 2025 Cincinnati Open final against Alcaraz. Sinner had to retire in the opening set, but that wasn’t his elbow – the 24-year-old just couldn’t handle Ohio’s brutal heat.
The fact that he went out and beat Marozsan in straight sets after getting the ice treatment is pretty reassuring. Seems like whatever’s going on is manageable, and he’ll probably be fine for his semifinal against de Minaur.
The Team Member Everyone’s Watching
Usually, nobody really cares which trainers help a player get ready for a match. But with Sinner, people pay attention to every single person on his team.
Umberto Ferrara was one of the guys applying that ice to Sinner’s elbow. And that name carries some serious baggage.
Ferrara was right in the middle of Sinner’s doping mess from earlier this year. He gave Giacomo Naldi – who was Sinner’s physiotherapist at the time – a spray for a cut finger that had traces of clostebol, a banned substance.
Naldi then gave Sinner massages without wearing gloves after using the spray. That’s how the clostebol got into Sinner’s system during the 2024 Indian Wells Open.
Sinner ended up serving a three-month ban when everything got sorted out.
When the whole thing became public right before the 2024 US Open, Sinner fired both Ferrara and Naldi. He said he just couldn’t trust them anymore. Makes sense, really.
He brought in Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio – two guys who used to work with Novak Djokovic. Seemed like a solid move.
But then something nobody saw coming happened. Right before his Wimbledon run, Sinner split with Panichi and Badio and brought Ferrara back.
Most people figured Ferrara was done for good because of the doping situation. Guess not.
Naldi didn’t get his job back, though. In a recent interview, he said he’s still on good terms with Sinner and has moved on with his life.
Pretty wild how these tennis team dynamics work out sometimes.
