“Because of these mistakes, I’m not that confident to continue with them,” Jannik Sinner said of his now ex-coaches, Umberto Ferrara and Giacomo Naldi, in light of his doping controversy. Sinner acknowledged their massive contribution to his career but is currently on a hunt for their replacements. Moreover, the Italian player is focusing on reviving his reputation and has already won fans’ hearts with a title victory at the US Open. But it seems that Ferrara is not off the hook yet!

The fitness coach is now under scrutiny for another 15-year-old doping controversy concerning former Italian tennis player Filippo Volandri. A recent social media post has drawn attention to a potential connection between the doping cases of Sinner and Volandri. According to the post, Ferrara was working with Volandri when the former Italian player suffered a ban for a failed dope test back in 2009. While it’s not clear if Ferrara was indeed associated with Volandri during that time period, the eerie similarity between the two cases has raised eyebrows among tennis fans.

In 2009, Volandri, a then-27-year-old Italian star, was suspended for three months (after he failed a drug test during a tournament in Indian Wells, California) by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) due to excessive use of salbutamol, a common asthma medication. The ban prevented him from participating in that year’s Australian Open. The Italian tennis federation announced the ITF’s decision, stating that Volandri’s usage of the drug exceeded therapeutic requirements.

Volandri claimed that he had a medical exemption to use Ventolin, a medication containing salbutamol, to treat his asthma. While the tribunal acknowledged that Volandri did not intentionally use salbutamol to enhance his performance, they concluded that his dosage was excessive for treating his asthma. “The Tribunal, therefore, found that a doping offence had been committed,” read the statement, as Volandri was handed a three-month suspension.

As far as Jannik Sinner’s association with Ferrara is concerned, under him, the Italian achieved huge success over the past two seasons, including his first Grand Slam victory in Australia. However, it all changed overnight when Sinner tested positive for an anabolic steroid on March 10 (during his Indian Wells campaign) and March 18.

Following Sinner’s claim that the contamination was due to his physio applying an over-the-counter spray (containing Clostebol) to his own wound and then giving him treatment without gloves, an Independent Tribunal let him off without a ban. But soon Sinner parted ways with his fitness coach, Ferrara, and his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi.

Well, it seems Jannik Sinner made the right decision. But it wasn’t easy for him to handle all the criticism that came his way after the doping controversy surfaced. The World No. 1 revealed how the entire saga affected him mentally.

Jannik Sinner appreciates the “support” he received from his loved ones amid the difficult phase

During his first press conference after the doping trial came to light (in August) to the tennis fans, Sinner said that he was in desperate need of some fresh air. Perhaps this necessity further drove him to earn his maiden US Open title in New York. During his press conference after the match, the Italian star admitted how he just kept going amid the criticism and chaos.

“What allowed me to do that [winning US Open amid doping disclosure and criticism] was the people who were close to me daily, people who know me already when I was very young, and also my family and my team and everyone who supports me daily,” said Jannik Sinner. Nevertheless, Sinner confessed how the entire thing still continues to occupy his mind, but he tries to focus on his game whenever he is on-court. “I try to handle the situation in the best possible way, communicate with the team on the practice courts,” Sinner concluded.

As World No. 1 leaves his past behind and focuses on the future, it will be interesting to see how Ferrara also finds his own path amid the scrutiny.