“The only thing I just need right now, just some clean air.” An independent panel found that Jannik Sinner‘s positive drug (Clostebol) test was due to contamination by a trainer who used a banned spray. The tribunal ruled in favor of Sinner, finding him not at fault. Instead, he got away with a fine of $325,000, along with a loss of 400 points earned from his Indian Wells campaign. Sinner, however, decided to part ways with his fitness coach, Giacomo Naldi and physio, Umberto Ferrara. Now, in an emotional farewell message, Naldi has poured his heart out, reflecting on the “dual nature of justice.”

Sharing pictures of several precious moments with this ex-team, Naldi reflected on the contrast between court-sanctioned verdicts and media-driven narratives. “The latter is too often superficial and rarely based on concrete facts, which in this case, by the way, are public. As a spectator, I always wondered what was the purpose of spectacular court cases, if not to judge, create or destroy people and their reputation. Today I’m the star, I’ve confirmed it!”

The physiotherapist expressed his pride in being part of Sinner’s team for one and a half years, cherishing the memories, milestones, and bonds formed during their journey together. “With the people of this group, I created a strong bond, but above all, I was able to achieve historical milestones that have brought us to the history of Italian tennis. I am proud to have been a part of this great Team, aware that I have given my best, that I have been 100% professional but also that I have given more, because when you put your heart into it you are certain that you give more.” 

However, he admitted that leaving the group and not being able to support Sinner was painful, and wrote: “but I’ll have to get used to it quickly.” With gratitude, Naldi thanked his colleagues, including Vagno, Darren, Umbe, Cipo. He also acknowledged the support from Alex, Joseph, Larry, Pierre, Ruben, and other key figures on the team. And with a subtle nod to Jannik Sinner’s supremacy in tennis, he further wrote, “Thank you Jannik and good luck, for a great career, you are a champion. 🦊 “Keep hunting”!”

Similarly, Sinner expressed gratitude for his former coach and physio’s contributions to his career, but decided to terminate their employment due to the recent contamination incident. “…We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me,” said the Italian during his pre-tournament press conference on Friday. He further stressed the need for a fresh start to overcome the challenges he faced in recent months.

Much like Naldi, Sinner’s heartfelt confession also brought forth his mental struggles and how he kept moving forward amid the challenging times.

Jannik Sinner confesses how he kept “playing tennis” amid the doping case

Jannik Sinner won his maiden grand slam in January during the Australian Open. But soon after that, he experienced months of complications owing to the doping case. The 23-year-old player did not lose his morale and kept on achieving success on-court, grabbing three titles after the Indian Wells tournament. However, the uncertainty of the trials continued to trouble him. Speaking about this in an interview, he said,

“For me, I always believe that I kept playing tennis because in my mind I knew that I haven’t done anything wrong.” Furthermore, he added, “I knew that I was very clean, and I knew that I was always very looking forward to be a fair player. Obviously, this might change a couple of things, but whoever knows me very well knows that I haven’t done and I would never do something that goes against the rules.”

He concluded by adding that the entire situation was a “very tough moment” for him and his team. Jannik Sinner now wants to leave this behind and start afresh and hopefully, the upcoming US Open event will give him that sense of relief!