Jannik Sinner Won't Say Why He Fired Two Team Members Right Before Wimbledon
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 US 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.
On Saturday, Sinner was asked repeatedly in English and Italian what led him to part ways with Panichi and Badio. '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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Sabalenka's Wimbledon foe is Carson Branstine, a qualifier from California, Canada, and Texas A&M
There are plenty of tennis players who might be daunted by the prospect of making their Grand Slam debut against someone ranked No. 1 and in a big stadium–in this case, Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon's No. 1 Court. Carson Branstine, though, is embracing the circumstances she'll find herself in Monday. Branstine, 24, is a dual US-Canadian citizen–she was born in California and represents Canada, where her mother is from–and helped Texas A&M win the 2024 NCAA title. She is ranked just inside the top 200 but made it into the women's bracket at the All England Club by winning three matches in qualifying last week. 'It's not like I'm a beginner. This is my job, too. We're playing the same tournament, right? It's just exciting. It's cool. And I love that for myself,' Branstine said. 'You never know what can happen. And I like it. I wouldn't want it any other way. This is the coolest thing.' Besides, facing and eliminating the top seed is becoming routine lately for her: This is the third consecutive event this month where Branstine is going up against a foe seeded No. 1. She beat Liudmila Samsonova at a grass-court tournament in the Netherlands, then started off Wimbledon qualifying by defeating Loïs Boisson, who was coming off a surprising run to the French Open semifinals. 'Well, of course I go out with: 'Why not?' Because there's a lot of factors in tennis more than just playing. You never know what can be happening on each side behind closed doors. It's Wimbledon. It's (Sabalenka's) first round. You've seen a lot of players have tight matches in their first rounds against players that you'd never imagine that (it) would be close,' Branstine said. 'That could easily happen on Monday. You never know. With my game, maybe God's going to come down and say, 'You're going to have the best tennis of your life. You're not going to miss a single ball right now.'' Branstine credits her big serve and confidence to match with driving her recent success. When Sabalenka–a three-time Grand Slam champion and the runner-up to Coco Gauff at Roland-Garros three weeks ago–was asked Saturday what she knows about Branstine, her playing style was not what came to mind. 'I know that she's super pretty,' Sabalenka replied with a laugh. 'The other day I opened social media and she was giving an interview. … I was like, 'Oh my God, this girl is so beautiful.' … That's all I know so far.' Sabalenka planned to discuss tactics with her team and watch some of Branstine's past matches to familiarize herself with what to expect on court. 'It's not easy to face someone you've never seen before,' said Sabalenka, who missed Wimbledon a year ago because of an injured shoulder. 'I know that I'll be prepared for her game.' This is the sort of stage Branstine thought about getting to when she was a kid attending the tournament in Indian Wells. 'You go and you see those big courts and you imagine, 'What if that was me?' That's my dream. I want to do that one day. And now it's here,' she said. 'So it's a dream I get to check off my list, and no matter what happens I'm going to have that for the rest of my life: I got to play the No. 1 player at Court 1 at Wimbledon. It's pretty cool. So I just want to embrace it, really. I just want to take in the moment and play every single point. It's still another match. … And you know, you never know what can happen.'
Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Carlos Alcaraz loves playing on grass and is trying to win a third Wimbledon title in a row
Carlos Alcaraz's first match on a grass court came just six years ago. He's obviously a quick study. When Wimbledon gets started Monday, the 22-year-old from Spain will play in the first Centre Court match of this fortnight–an honor reserved for the previous year's men's champion. The contest against Fabio Fognini will open Alcaraz's bid for a third consecutive championship at the place. That's something only four men have achieved in the Open era, which began in 1968: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. Not bad company. Alcaraz already is 5–0 in Grand Slam finals, which includes going 2–0 at the French Open–which he won three weeks ago via a comeback from two sets down against No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final–and 1–0 at the US Open. Last year, the No. 2-ranked Alcaraz became the youngest man to win a major trophy on each surface: grass, clay, and hard courts. But he's got a fondness for the green stuff. 'The most beautiful tennis that we can watch is on grass. The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass… The sound of the ball,' said Alcaraz, who will go into Monday on a career-best 18-match winning streak, including a title at the Queen's Club tournament last weekend. 'The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it's kind of (as though) you're flying.' He loves that it allows him to show off the variety in his game and all of the skills he possesses. Few players smile as much as Alcaraz does while in the thick of things, no matter what challenges might be presented by the foe across the net or the tension of the moment. He is as creative as it gets with a racket in hand, sometimes to his own detriment, and admits enjoying seeing replays on arena video screens after some of his best deliveries (that technology isn't used at the All England Club, but perhaps it should be). 'I really want to hit slices, drop shots, going to the net all the time, playing aggressively,' said Alcaraz, who said he lost to two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray during a round of golf early in the week. 'I think on grass it's the style that you have to play, so that's what I like the most.' It's instructive to hear what Djokovic had to say about Alcaraz after a straight-set loss in last year's final at the All England Club. 'He just was better than me in every aspect of the game,' Djokovic said. 'In movement, in the way he was just striking the ball beautifully, serving great. Everything.' Those words carry weight. Djokovic has won seven of his men's-record 24 Grand Slam trophies at Wimbledon but was the runner-up to Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024. When it comes to the idea of joining an elite group by completing a three-peat in two weeks' time, Alcaraz insisted that isn't the sort of thing he really cares about or spends time considering. He wants the title, yes. But where it would place him in history? Leave that to others. 'I really want to lift the trophy,' Alcaraz said. 'But right now I'm not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.'
Al Arabiya
9 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
UK police studying Glastonbury performances after anti-Israel chants
British police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows. 'We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon,' Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday. Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted 'Death, death, to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]' in a reference to the Israeli army. 'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,' the police statement said. The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was 'not appropriate' for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury. The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offense last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge. A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organizers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. 'I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank,' Streeting told Sky News. 'I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously,' he said.
