Jannik Sinner’s fitness coach reveals how doping ban became a blessing in disguise

Jannik Sinner's fitness coach, Marco Panichi, opened up about how the World No. 1's team turned his doping ban into a blessing in disguise. The Italian is continuing to work hard in the time for which he has been sidelined, and Panichi has expressed optimism for his return to the sport in Rome.

Panichi was hired by Sinner after his previous fitness trainers were involved in his doping controversy. In a recent interview with Corriere Della Sera, the experienced trainer, who has previously worked with Djokovic, sang praise for the World No. 1.

When asked how the team has approached Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension, his new fitness coach emphasized the importance of embracing the unexpected downtime as an opportunity for growth.

"From the day we learned of the stop, player, team, and management had the same thought in unison: to make the most of this period. We knew right away that we could do a good job, studied and planned, not diluted and broken up by travel and tournaments as usual," he said.

He went on to explain how they maximized the break from competition, treating it as a focused training block rather than a setback.

"It's not that we were happy with Jannik's suspension, that's clear, but we studied an active and proactive way to experience it. We transformed the micro-cycles of work into macro-cycles, we went into particulars and details, we dedicated a lot of time to acquiring data on Jannik, applying training modules to put him in the condition to make another important leap in quality. From Rome onwards, this work will have to bear fruit," Panichi added.

Sinner only played at the Australian Open this year, where he defended his title successfully. Before he could feature at the Qatar Open, the World No. 1's suspension was announced. Now, months later, he has finally appeared on an event's entry list.

---

Jannik Sinner set to participate in the Italian Open after doping ban concludes in May

Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

In March 2024, Jannik Sinner tested positive for Clostebol twice after his trainer Giacomo Naldi unintentionally contaminated him through a cream. The news was made public in August and, after his explanation, the World No. 1 was given a clean chit by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), however, appealed the ruling soon after, and the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) set an April 2025 hearing. Surprisingly, in February, Sinner reached an agreement with WADA and accepted a three-month ban.

The ban sees him miss out on 12 ATP Tour-level events, but after recent results have come in, it is assured that he will retain the top rank upon his return on May 4. For the first time in the past few months, he also appeared on the entry list of an event as he was named in the Italian Open participants list.