Jannik Sinner makes shock pre-Wimbledon decision, parts ways with two key coaches: Report
ATP world number one Jannik Sinner has parted ways with his fitness trainer and physiotherapist right on the eve of his bid for a first Wimbledon title, with the sudden decision coming days before the start of his tournament against fellow countryman Luca Nardi. Italian publication Corriere dello Sport reported that Sinner's team will not include Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, who have been part of the Italian's team since September 2024, when the tournament begins in SW19 next week. World number one Jannik Sinner prepares for his attempt at a first Wimbledon title.(REUTERS)
Panichi and Badio have been part of Sinner's team since he let go of Umberto Ferrare and Giacomo Naldi, with the pair being relieved of their duties after their role in Sinner's high-profile doping case came to the fore last year. However, after less than 10 months in which Sinner has dominated men's tennis, he is set to move on from his new team as well.
Sinner won the US Open, the Nitto ATP Finals, and the Australian Open with the pair joining his team alongside high-profile Australian coach Darren Cahill, but his three-month suspension means he essentially spent just 6 months with their guidance.
Reasons haven't been made clear about Sinner's decision to end his collaboration with Panichi and Badio, but it will certainly be a central question asked during the 23-year-old's pre-tournament press conferences. Sinner's attempt to bounce back from heartbreaking Roland Garros loss vs Alcaraz?
Panichi and Badio were both formerly part of Novak Djokovic's team, Badio between 2017 and 2022, and Panichi between 2019 and 2024. Their presence helped Djokovic maintain his fitness levels and extend his career to break and extend the record of the man with the most grand slam titles, as well as most weeks at world number one.
Sinner will be smarting from a pair of losses to Carlos Alcaraz since his return from suspension, first at the ATP Masters in Rome in his return tournament at home, before the titanic five-set blockbuster in which he squandered match points in the French Open in Paris. Sinner's warm-up to Wimbledon didn't go to plan either, as he was knocked out of the grass-court Halle Open by Kazakhstan's mercurial Alexander Bublik, the eventual champion of that event.
The Italian is gunning for a first Wimbledon title, his fourth major victory, and has been handed a relatively straightforward path through his draw, avoiding a nightmare quarterfinal matchup against Djokovic. The Serb is still in Sinner's half of the draw, however, and the seven-time champion will be looking for revenge after losing each of the last four matches against his younger counterpart. Both are staring down the barrel of a final matchup against back-to-back defending champion Alcaraz in the final.
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