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New Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Red-hot Sinner crushes Nardi to reach Wimbledon second round
LONDON: World number one Jannick Sinner eased effortlessly into the second round at Wimbledon, as neither the stifling heat nor fellow Italian Luca Nardi could knock him out of his comfort zone in a 6-4 6-3 6-0 victory on Tuesday. Returning to the Grand Slam stage for the first time since his epic French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz, the three- times major winner had a much less testing workout against world number 95 Nardi. His compatriot had spoken in the past about learning from Sinner but this was a lesson in the differences between the best and the rest. Sinner was bigger, stronger, faster, hit the ball harder and served better, and although Nardi did his best to hang on to his coat tails in the first two sets, his compatriot was simply too good. "I am very happy to come back here, it's a special place for me and playing against an Italian is very unfortunate for us but one has to go through so I'm happy that it's me," he said as the fans warmly saluted his victory. Sinner's three Grand Slam successes have come on hardcourts in Australia and the U.S., while he has only once reached the semi-finals at the All England Club. Yet even against Nardi's limited resistance, he showed he has the tools, the booming serve and walloping flat forehand, to thrive on Wimbledon's lawns. Sinner's preparation was far from smooth, losing to Alexander Bublik in his second match at Halle in his only grasscourt warmup event and splitting from his trainer and physiotherapist days before the Grand Slam got underway. Yet having played only two matches since his gruelling Roland Garros final against Alcaraz, he looked fresh as he set about demolishing Nardi. RELENTLESS PRESSURE Sinner's pressure was relentless, and Nardi did well to save four break points in the first set before eventually crumbling under an increasingly hostile assault in the 10th game. A stunning forehand winner brought up another two break points for Sinner and while the first went begging, there was no further reprieve for the 21-year-old. If anything was going to unsettle Sinner it was the fierce heat on Court One as Wimbledon basked in the second day of a punishing heat wave, but with ice-packed towels draped around his neck at each change-over, the world number one never looked like losing his cool. He eased through the second set in cruise control after breaking for a 2-0 lead, conceding only a handful of points on serve as Nardi's efforts looked increasingly forlorn. The motorbike-loving Nardi had no answer as Sinner went full throttle through the final set, breaking in the opening game and twice more before clinching victory with a service winner. Sinner may have feared a less than welcoming reception after he served a three-month suspension this year having agreed a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), but he was cheered throughout by the crowd. "The atmosphere is amazing actually," he said. "So thank you for coming out." — REUTERS
Metro
2 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Why was Jannik Sinner banned from tennis? Doping suspension explained
With Jannik Sinner in action at Wimbledon today, here's everything you need to know about his three-month doping suspension earlier this year. The Italian world No.1 failed two drug tests in 2024, which eventually saw him banned at all tennis competitions from February 9, 2025 to May 4, 2025 following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Sinner, one of the favourites to win Wimbledon this year, twice tested positive for clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass. WADA accepted Sinner's explanation that he was accidentally contaminated by a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the banned substance to treat a finger cut. They ruled that Sinner 'did not intend to cheat' but insisted that he was responsible for his team's negligence, which ultimately saw him punished. The entire process was controversial with many tennis stars feeling that Sinner had benefitted from 'favouritism' due to his profile and the fact that he had access to 'top lawyers', unlike tennis players at the lower levels. It was first announced in August 2024, by an an independent tribunal, that Sinner had tested positive for clostebol in separate tests from March 2024. Although Sinner's positive drug tests occurred in March 2024, he wasn't banned until his settlement with WADA in February 2025. The last tournament he played before his suspension was the Australian Open in January – which he won – to land his third major title. He made his return at the Italian Open in May – and then featured at Roland-Garros – finishing as a runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz both times. Like WADA, the independent tribunal accepted Sinner's explanation, but they determined that Sinner bore 'no fault or negligence' and no period of ineligibility would apply. The independent tribunal instead ruled that Sinner would forfeit prize money and ranking points earned at the Indian Wells tournament, held in March 2024. That led to WADA getting involved and appealing the decision – with Sinner eventually suspended for three months after an agreement was reached. Even WADA's ruling proved to be somewhat controversial after Sinner was allowed to return in time to play at 2025 French Open. 'It just seems a little bit too convenient,' former British No.1 Tim Henman said in February. More Trending 'Having just won the [2025] Australian Open, to miss three months of the Tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland-Garros, the timing couldn't have been any better for Sinner, but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport. 'When you're dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it's binary, it's positive or negative, you're banned or you're not banned. 'When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there's been a negotiation and I don't think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport.' MORE: 'Total mistake' – Wimbledon urged to scrap iconic rule after 62 years MORE: Novak Djokovic warned he is 'not at the level' of two Wimbledon rivals MORE: 'Bizarre' – Tim Henman criticises Wimbledon favourite Carlos Alcaraz
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
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 on Saturday (June 28, 2025) 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 on Monday (June 30, 2025) at the All England Club, where Sinner was a quarterfinalist in 2024. He will play Luca Nardi in an all-Italian matchup on Tuesday (July 1, 2025). 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. 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 on Saturday (June 28, 2025): 'I haven't thought about replacements. It's not the time to think about my options. But there are a lot of options.'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
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.'
4 days ago
- Sport
Jannik Sinner won't say why he fired two team members right before Wimbledon
LONDON -- 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. 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.
