Jannik Sinner won't say why he fired two team members right before Wimbledon
LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner confirmed that he recently fired two members of his team — fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio, who themselves were replacements for people involved in the player's doping case — but declined Saturday to explain the reason for the change ahead of Wimbledon.
Sinner, who has been ranked No. 1 for more than a year, said that he decided shortly after losing in the second round of the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, this month to make the change. Sinner has not yet found substitutes for Panichi and Badio, who both used to work with Novak Djokovic.
'Nothing seriously bad happened. They did great work for (the past) three months. Sometimes, things happen,' Sinner said at his pre-tournament news conference. 'The timing obviously isn't the best, but having done a lot of work (together) before, it won't affect this Grand Slam a lot. I feel well physically and mentally and ready to compete.'
Play begins Monday at the All England Club, where Sinner was a quarterfinalist in 2024. He will play Luca Nardi in an all-Italian matchup on Tuesday.
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 three 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, Umberto 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.
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.
'There's not one specific thing,' Sinner said.
He was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open three weeks ago, wasting a two-set lead and three match points in a final that lasted 5 1/2 hours.
As for adding new team members, Sinner said Saturday: 'I haven't thought about replacements. It's not the time to think about my options. But there are a lot of options.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
21 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier chosen as captains of WNBA All-Star Game by fan vote
The Indiana Fever star, who is sidelined with a groin strain, is averaging 18.2 points and a career-high 8.9 assists. She also led the fan voting last season, her rookie year, but the All-Star format was the U.S. Olympic team playing against a select group of WNBA stars so no captains were chosen. She learned she was captain in a phone call from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Minnesota's Collier leads the league in scoring at a career-best 24.5 points and is fourth in rebounding at 8.4 per game. Her daughter surprised her wearing a shirt saying 'Mama you're a All-Star,' as she scooted into the locker room with former Lynx great Sylvia Fowles right behind her to let Collier know the news. Advertisement Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (left) leads the WNBA in scoring, averaging 24.5 points per game. Richard W. Rodriguez/Associated Press 'It's really cool,' Collier said to reporters before warming up for a game Sunday night 'I went from never being a starter to captain.' This will be her fifth All-Star appearance. Before squaring off in Indianapolis on July 19, Clark and the Fever will face Collier and the Lynx on Tuesday in the Commissioner's Cup final. Advertisement The 10 starters were selected from across the WNBA without regard to conference affiliation. Current players and a media panel joined fans in selecting the All-Star starters. Fans voting accounted for 50 percent, while the players vote and the media choices each account for 25 percent. The pair will draft their fellow starters from a group that will be revealed on Monday. After the starters are announced, the league's head coaches will choose the 13 reserves by voting for three guards, five frontcourt players, and four from either position. Coaches can't vote for players from their own teams. The 12 reserves will be revealed next Sunday. 'Obviously I'm going to try and get my teammates on my team, that's the goal,' Clark said. 'Once they come out with whoever has made it and whoever hasn't, I'll get to pick and choose. I don't know how it works.' The two All-Star captains will then draft their respective rosters by selecting first from the remaining eight players in the pool of starters and then from the pool of 12 reserves. Clark and Collier also led the initial fan voting, with Indiana's Aliyah Boston in third. Boston finished second last season behind Clark in the fan vote.
Indianapolis Star
28 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
Captain Caitlin Clark to wear 'GM hat' for WNBA All-Star draft, eyes Fever teammates first
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark already knows who she wants to draft to her WNBA All-Star team. 'Obviously, I'm going to try to get my teammates on my team. Why wouldn't I?' Clark said. 'That's the goal, and once they come out with whoever has made it — I don't really know how it works — but my first goal would be to have my teammates on my team.' Clark was named team captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star game after receiving almost 1.3 million votes. Clark and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, who was also selected captain with the second most votes, will draft their rosters on July 8 during 'WNBA Countdown." The remaining eight All-Star starters will be revealed during ESPN's NBA free agency coverage on June 30. Fever players Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have a good chance to make the game. The All-Star game is July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 'It's cool that fans get to be part of it and have an impact on the game,' Clark said about her selection. 'It's going to be really special to be able to do it here in this city. And I think there's already been so much time and effort put in by people that aren't going to get credit for what they did to bring All-Star here. So, we're trying to make it the best All-Star the WNBA has ever had, and I know we will certainly do that.' Fever coach Stephanie White anticipates a 'nuts' environment in Indianapolis when the city hosts its first WNBA All-Star weekend. 'You saw it with the NBA and the ability for fans to show up and show out,' White said. 'Caitlin being able to be a captain, she's going to put on her GM hat. We'll see how that works out for her. But what an outstanding opportunity for our city to show up, to show love to the players in the WNBA and embrace what we love, and that's basketball.' Clark can lean on White for plenty of things, but if the two-time All-Star wants advice on which players to select after her teammates, she has to go elsewhere. 'I am not a GM, so she'd have to talk to Amber (Cox) about that,' White said. 'She gets to pick her roster, so I'll stay in my lane and let her talk to the true GMs for that.'
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Potgieter wins a playoff in Detroit for first PGA Tour win. Harrington wins another Senior Open
DETROIT (AP) — Aldrich Potgieter made an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole, outlasting Max Greyserman to win the Rocket Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title. The 20-year-old from South Africa is the youngest player on the tour and its biggest hitter. He became the ninth player to win for the first time this season. Chris Kirk, who closed with a 5-under 67, missed a 9-foot putt for the win on the first playoff hole and was eliminated on the second extra hole when he missed a 4-foot par putt. Greyserman missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole in regulation, missing his chance to win and closing with a 67. Potgieter, who started with a two-shot lead, shot 69 to join Kirk at 22-under 266. Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Jake Knapp (68) finished a stroke out of the playoff. USGA and PGA Tour Champions COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Padraig Harrington came out on top of a major championship that felt more like match play, closing his round with seven straight pars at the U.S. Senior Open for a 3-under 67 to beat Stewart Cink by one shot. Playing alongside Cink for the fourth straight day, Harrington finished at 11-under 269 on the tricky, heavily sloping Broadmoor. The Irishman sealed this match by hitting his approach to 8 feet on No. 18, putting pressure on Cink, who trailed by one but sat 30 yards in front of him on the fairway. Cink's approach landed on the precipice of a ledge, but spun back to 35 feet away to set up a two-putt. Harrington took two putts for the win, his second U.S. Senior Open title in four years that gets him in the U.S. Open next year at Shinnecock Hills. LIV Golf League CARROLLTON, Texas (AP) — Patrick Reed lost the lead with a 3-over 75 and then atoned for it by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a four-man playoff to win LIV Golf Dallas, his first title since joining the Saudi-funded league in 2022. Reed, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, fell behind late in the day at Maridoe Golf Club until Jinichiro Kozuma made bogey on the 18th hole and then made par on his final hole at No. 1 for a 68. That got him into a playoff with Reed, Louis Oosthuizen (68) and Paul Casey (72). On the first extra hole, Oosthuizen drove into the water and Casey took four shots to reach the green on the par-4 18th. Kozuma missed his 25-foot birdie try, setting the stage for Reed. Jon Rahm finished out of the top 10 for the first time in LIV, while Sergio Garcia claimed the one LIV spot for the British Open. LPGA Tour MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Somi Lee poured in an 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to team with fellow South Korean Jin Hee Im to win the Dow Championship, denying Lexi Thompson her first LPGA title in six years. Thompson's partner, Megan Khang, had a chance to extend the playoff, but she missed a 5-foot birdie putt that was on the low side of the hole from the start. The final round was fourballs, but switched to foursomes for the playoff. Thompson made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th hole for the American duo to finish with a 10-under 60 in fourballs. They were the first to post at 20-under 260. Lee made a 10-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 17th. They shot 62. European Tour TUSCANY, Italy (AP) — Adrien Saddier claimed his first European tour title in his 200th start with a back-nine charge in the Italian Open, closing with a 4-under 66 for a two-shot victory over Martin Couvra. Couvra, the 54-hole leader, closed with a 69 and appeared headed for victory until Saddier had five birdies over the final seven holes at the Argentario Golf Club on the Tuscan coast. Saddier and Couvra earned places in the British Open field at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland next month. Calum Hill of Scotland and Dan Bradbury of England finished tied for third, four strokes behind. Korn Ferry Tour SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Austin Smotherman holed out for eagle to take the lead for the first time and closed with an 8-under 63 for a one-shot victory over Alvaro Ortiz in the Memorial Health Championship. It was the second Korn Ferry Tour victory this year for Smotherman, who moved to No. 1 on the points list and is virtually certain of returning to the PGA Tour next year. Ortiz began had a four-shot lead going into the final round and his lead was down to one when he bogeyed the 11th hole. Smotherman followed by holing out for eagle on the 408-yard 12th hole. Both player made birdie on the par 5s coming in and Smotherman held on for the win. Sandy Scott shot 60, with pars on the last two holes, to tie for third. Other tours Jillian Hollis rallied from a three-shot deficit with a 4-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Kelli Ann Strand in the Otter Creek Championship on the Epson Tour. ...Tatsunori Shogenji closed with a 6-under 65 for a one-shot victory over Ryuichi Oiwa (62) in the Japan Players Championship, his second Japan Golf Tour victory this year. ... Shannon Tan of Singapore captured her second Ladies European Tour title with a 5-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Helen Briem of Germany in the Amundi German Masters. ... David Horsey birdied the final hole for a 3-under 69, and then made birdie again to win a four-man playoff against James Allan, Joseba Torres and Daniel Young in Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in France. ... Shuri Sakuma closed with a 2-under 70 and won the Earth Mondahmin Cup by one shot over Nana Suganuma on the Japan LPGA. ... Jiu Ko closed with a 5-under 67 to hold off Hyungjo Yoo (62) for a two-shot victory in the McCol-Mona Youngpyong Open on the Korea LPGA.
