The World No. 1’s quest for redemption has taken a wild turn! In a move shrouded in intrigue, Jannik Sinner has bid farewell to his physiotherapist (Giacomo Naldi) and athletic trainer (Umberto Ferrara). The sudden change comes amidst a tumultuous period for Sinner, with Naldi and Ferrara inadvertently entangled in his doping controversy. However, at the same time, sources also hint at a high-profile addition, one poised to create a unique link between Sinner and the former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic!

A day after bagging the Cincinnati Masters title, Jannik Sinner shook the tennis world with the news of his doping trials. Surprisingly, the case had been silently going on for a long time, and Sinner, who tested positive for Clostebol (a performance-enhancing testosterone derivative drug), appealed to ITIA for his innocence.

As per him, his trainer (Naldi) used a spray containing Clostebol on their own injury, and then gave Sinner massages and therapy without wearing gloves. Sinner claims this accidental contamination led to his positive test. The ITIA bought his explanation, calling it an unintentional violation. 

However, he didn’t escape a fine! The 23-year-old player lost his prize money ($325,000) and points (400) from Indian Wells but dodged a doping suspension. That’s not it! Sinner quickly took the matter in hand and announced his split from Naldi and Ferrara on August 23 during a press conference. “Because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling confident to continue with them,” he told the media. However, according to sources, now Sinner is poised to appoint Marco Panichi, an Italian seasoned trainer with a storied past alongside Djokovic, as his new trainer. 

The 24 Grand Slam champion parted ways with the trainer in April this year ending their seven-year partnership. “Grande Marco, what amazing years of collaboration we’ve had. We reached the summit, won titles, broken records. But most of all, I have enjoyed our most “ordinary” days of training in and out of the gym…,“ Djokovic wrote on his Instagram.

But now, Panichi is determined to join hands with Sinner to help him regain momentum and shine in the upcoming US Open. We are awaiting an official declaration now. In the meantime, Sinner has also confirmed that his two coaches, Daniil Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, will continue to work with him. However, along with the announcement of his split from his former trainers, the Italian player also poured his heart out about the whole situation during the same press conference.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Jannik Sinner opens up on his doping saga

As we saw him compete in the Indian Wells and later in the Miami Open earlier this year, he continued his silent battle with the ITIA for months. On-court, his form faced a slump too, as he could not overcome the barrier of semifinals in the tournaments until June (at the Halle Open). However, now he can heave a sigh of ‘relief.’ “It’s not ideal before a Grand Slam but in my mind I know that I haven’t done anything wrong. I had to play already months with this in my head. I always respected the rules and I always will respect the rules for anti-doping.”

Speaking about the minute amount of Clostebol found in his system, the Australian Open champion further stated, “0.000000001, so there are a lot of zeroes before coming up a 1,” before concluding that he is a “fair player on and off the court.” Sinner’s next target is improving his last year’s performance (a round of 16 exit) in the US Open.

By tapping into Panichi’s expertise, Sinner aims to enhance his physical conditioning and mental toughness, drawing inspiration from Djokovic’s illustrious career.