Jannik Sinner reappoints fitness coach he dropped after doping scandal
Sinner parted ways with Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi last year following the investigation into his positive tests for banned substance clostebol.
'The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik's management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open,' a statement from Sinner's team said. '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 served a three-month suspension earlier this year after agreeing a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) in February after authorities accepted that the anabolic agent clostebol had entered his system inadvertently via massages from Naldi at Indian Wells in March 2024.
Wada had appealed to the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) against an independent tribunal's decision last August to clear Sinner of wrongdoing.
Sinner, who returned to action in May and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final before beating him to win Wimbledon, said clostebol, which can build muscle mass, entered his system after Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to a cut on his own hand before carrying out treatments on Sinner. The spray had been given to Naldi by trainer Ferrara. Sinner was cleared of fault or negligence by an independent tribunal.
Speaking at last year's US Open, Sinner explained his decision to part ways with Ferrara and Naldi. 'Now, because of these mistakes, I'm not feeling that confident to continue with them. I was struggling a lot in the last months. I was waiting for the result. The only thing I need right now is some clean air,' he said.
Ferrara, who had laid the blame for the incident on Naldi, worked with Sinner's fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini this year. Sinner, 23, had split with Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, his trainer and physiotherapist, before Wimbledon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu knocked out of Canadian Open
Emma Raducanu has been knocked out of the National Bank Open in Montreal by American fifth seed Amanda Anisimova. Raducanu lost in straight sets, with Anisimova securing a dominant 6-2 6-1 victory. The British number one struggled significantly with her serve, managing to hold it only once in each set. Despite having won their two previous encounters, Raducanu failed to secure another break point after the initial stages of the match. Anisimova's win sees her advance to the last 16, where she will play either Elina Svitolina or Anna Kalinskaya.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Defending champion Pegula sent packing by Sevastova at Canadian Open, Swiatek through
Aug 2 (Reuters) - Twice defending champion Jessica Pegula crashed out of the Canadian Open after losing to Anastasija Sevastova 3-6 6-4 6-1 in the third round on Friday, while six-times major winner Iga Swiatek marched on with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win over Eva Lys. The 35-year-old Sevastova, ranked 386 in the world, will next face four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who took out Latvian 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-4. "I don't know," Sevastova said after upsetting third seed Pegula. "Somehow, I was down 2-0 in the second set and started to play better and better. Third set, I played really good. Just trying to stay on the court as long as possible." Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova, seeded fifth in Montreal, carved out a comfortable win over Emma Raducanu, beating the 2021 U.S. Open champion 6-2 6-1. Anisimova's win over Raducanu is her first, having lost their previous two encounters. She will next face Ukrainian 10th seed Elina Svitolina. In the men's draw, American second seed Taylor Fritz made light work of local hope Gabriel Diallo, beating the 27th seed 6-4 6-2. Fritz, who is eyeing a third title of the season after triumphs in Eastbourne and Stuttgart, will next take on Czech 19th seed Jiri Lehecka. "Even the games that I didn't serve my best in, I felt like I backed it up really well from the baseline, so I'm happy with that," Fritz said. American fourth seed Ben Shelton, however, was made to work hard by countryman Brandon Nakashima before managing a 6-7(8) 6-2 7-6(5) win. "It was back and forth," Shelton said. "There were a lot of huge moments, like being able to break back after getting broken in my first service game of the third set. I feel like I showed a lot of perseverance tonight." Next up for Shelton is Italian 13th seed Flavio Cobolli.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
The mountain retreat - upholding an Italian tradition
The wheels on Josh Doig's plane had barely kissed Italian tarmac before he was whisked off to the Alps for a lung-pumping, leg-burning pre-season training camp with his new team-mates."They said to me if you sign, you can go home, pack a bag, come back," laughs the Scotsman, reflecting on his arrival at Hellas Verona in July 2022. "I was expecting to be drip fed into it."But literally I signed, then two hours [drive] straight up to the mountains, not speaking the language - it was terrifying, but after a few days I loved it."The ritiro pre-campionato - translated as pre-season retreat - is something of an Italian have long swapped hot and humid summers for fresh mountain air and picturesque surroundings in the north of the country, spending weeks preparing for the new season at high-altitude camps."You have almost six weeks off with your family and then 17 days away," adds left-back Doig, now with Sassuolo in Serie A and speaking from his fourth such retreat, this one in the quiet Alpine village of Ronzone."When you're in the mountains it's just head down and work hard. You feel dead on your feet every day but it is good because you know you are getting something out of it."It is a shock to the system but it gets you right back in the swing of things with your fitness and the football way of mind."While many clubs, particularly those in the Premier League, now opt for lucrative global tours, the 'ritiro' remains relatively unscathed heritage in Serie A."Every player has grown up with this kind of tradition," explains Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini. "Maybe we have more mountains than other nations!"This summer, only AC Milan ventured outside Europe, playing in Hong Kong and Australia, with several clubs setting up retreats at their own training bases and 12 still making a trip to the slopes. Antonio Conte's Napoli are even doing it twice."You have better air, oxygen," says Gokhan Inler, technical director at Udinese, who have made a short hop across the border to Austria. "You are more controlled with food and sleep. It helps build the group, new players come in faster." Italian disciplinarian Fabio Capello recreated a similar retreat with England before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, grilling the squad away from friends and family in the small village of Irdning, tucked away in the Austrian Italian football journalist Daniele Verri explains, would use the remote camps to control their players' behaviour or stop them partying in pre-season."Fans wouldn't even know where their clubs would go," adds Verri. "Now you get full houses."Over time, the culture has changed - as well as open training sessions for fans, most clubs allow players' families to visit, the camps have become shorter and there are more team-building activities. Genoa's players, for example, have spent time rafting and on mountain walks."In the past it was much longer," explains Ottolini from Genoa's base at Moena, in Val di Fassa, where they spent 11 days."There were clubs that stayed in the mountains for three weeks and for me that was something that was damaging the mental health of the players. Now you have to manage the breaks, give some free time to do different activities."Training methods have evolved too, of course."When I was younger it was more mountain runs, up and downs, more physical, 1,000m runs back and forth," says former Switzerland midfielder Inler, who spent eight seasons in Serie A with Udinese and Napoli."Then slowly it changed. Some coaches, like Rafael Benitez, liked to run but on the pitch with a ball."Now on the pitch you can do everything - more people, more scientific materials, you can check more data. Before you had GPS, but basic things, now you see sprints, distance, all these things to fine-tune the body." For Patrick Vieira's Genoa, a typical day - when there are no friendlies - consists of a morning and afternoon session, around which the players can use the spa and swimming pool, or do some recovery work with the physio."Patrick has brought a lot of self-consciousness and he transmits this kind of charisma, this calmness in the right way that is good for everybody," says Ottolini."Patrick is very organised, he gives the right breaks to the players and then in that hour when there is training he wants their full concentration, their full focus."At Sassuolo's camp, it has also been daily double sessions under Italian World Cup-winning left-back Fabio Grosso."It is full on," explains Doig. "We always do running or gym in the morning and always ball work in the afternoon. The gaffer is good with that."Now it is getting more tactical. Tactics, games in the afternoon - it gives you something to look forward to after the hard session in the morning."Of course, there is still always time for golf. "There is a beautiful course, Dolomiti Golf Course, five minutes' drive away," smiles Doig. "Whenever we get an afternoon off, we're straight there for like five hours." 'It's an event' - why Napoli have two camps As well as friendlies and open training sessions, clubs lay on events for visiting fans - Genoa boss Vieira spoke in the square at nearby Alpine resort Canazei and players took part in a table football tournament."It is traditional for the supporters," adds Ottolini. "They like to come with families to watch games and training, to stay a bit closer to the team compared to what they can do during the season."So popular are the retreats among Napoli fans, they have put on two this summer."In the 1980s, all Italian teams went to the mountains - fresh air, to build team spirit. It was really just between team-mates," says Naples-based journalist Vincenzo Credendino."Now the retreat of Napoli is an event. They train during the day and then in the night there is always an event."One night cinema, another night the presentation of the team, another there is Conte with his staff answering questions from people, another with four players, a disco night - it's a holiday village, really!" But there is also an economic incentive for side spent 11 days in Dimaro Folgarida, in Trentino's Val di Sole, before heading for two weeks in Castel di Sangro, in the Apennine Mountains in Abruzzo."For the regions, it is good to have Napoli because Napoli bring a lot of fans who go to hotels, restaurants, they kayak, mountain bike," explains Credendino."It's a lot of money - it's like a real business for the regions for Trentino and Abruzzo. They pay Napoli to come but they earn much more."Verri adds: "For a mountain resort looking for visibility, it can mean a lot to host a top club's pre-season training camp. It attracts publicity and above all fans, lots of fans."That is why it can be worth attracting teams for the retreat with sponsorships, free accommodation and various benefits."It begs the question - would clubs consider ditching the traditional retreats for more lucrative overseas options in future?"For the player it is hard," says Inler of that option. "After a long season, you go to a tour and it is a big fatigue, especially mentally. Smaller clubs, you are here in Europe, then it is less fatigue."If you are higher, if you are a better player, everybody wants something from you, the club needs to promote you, needs to promote the club - the higher you go the more you have to do."
