Jannik Sinner's ex-fitness coach gives new twist to doping saga with latest accusation

Jannik Sinner's former athletic trainer, Umberto Ferrara, recently provided a new twist to the mystery surrounding his positive drug test. According to Ferrara, the blame falls on ex-psychologist Giacomo Naldi, who was explicitly told that the spray he provided was to be kept away from Sinner. While Naldi admitted to being informed about the medication, he still said he could not recall the details.

Sinner received a three-month suspension after testing positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid. This came during the Indian Wells tournament in March 2024. The substance entered his system through a cream applied by his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who was treating a cut on his hand and unknowingly contaminated Sinner during massages. Sinner terminated both Naldi and his fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, as he held them responsible for the mishap.

A month before the end of Jannik Sinner's ban, Umberto Ferrara stepped forward to clarify how a miscommunication led to the overall mishap. In a recent conversation reported by Gazzetta, Ferrara admitted that he was the one who bought the spray in the US.

"I have been using it [Trofodermin] for years as prescribed by the specialist doctor as a support drug for a chronic disease. I was perfectly aware of the ban and I have always kept it with the utmost caution, in my personal bathroom. I didn't give anything to [Giacomo] Naldi (the physio), I suggested using it because he had a cut on a finger that didn't heal and made his job complicated," he said.

He also mentioned handing over the spray to Naldi before giving specific instructions for keeping it away from Sinner.

"I was very clear in communicating to Naldi the nature of the product and that there was no need to get it in touch with Jannik. In fact, I only allowed it to be used inside my personal bathroom. Naldi did not deny that he had been informed, but said he did not remember," he added.

Currently serving a 3-month-long ban, Jannik Sinner's waiting period is supposed to end on the 4th of May.

Jasmine Paolini and Maria Sakkari state the changes they felt after Jannik Sinner's ban

Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open Men's Champion Media Opportunity - Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner's 3-month-long ban has made his absence visible. WTA stars Maria Sakkari and Jasmine Paolini recently addressed the current scenario of tennis in a conversation hosted by the Tennis Insider Club. They talked about the expectations of being a top-ranked player, mentioning how both the ATP and WTA tours are quite similar to Sinner at rest.

“To me it doesn’t really matter about the number one seed, second seed and third seed. Especially women’s tennis is very unexpected as we all know. You always have results that you wouldn’t expect, probably on the men’s draw even though now I think it’s [more even]," Sakkari said.

Citing how Sinner's absence has made Novak Djokovic the visible entity, Paolini added:

"Now it is quite the same. Maybe because now Jannik is not playing. But without [Novak] Djokovic, Federer and Nadal."

Jannik Sinner's ongoing ban is supposed to end on the 4th of May. He is likely to make a comeback at the Italian Open, scheduled to kick off on the 7th of May.