PICTURE: Jannik Sinner's physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi attending Indian Wells match with wounded finger emerges after Italian's doping row clean chit

An image of Jannik Sinner's physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi attending the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with a wounded finger has emerged hours after Jannik Sinner received a clean chit from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in the doping row. Sinner tested positive in two drug tests for Clostebol, a banned substance, during his run to the semifinals at the Masters 1000 event.

Clostebol can be used as a performance-enhancing drug as it elevates muscle growth in the body because of a chemical composition similar to that of testosterone, hence, it is prohibited.

Sinner claimed the contamination was unintentional and Clostebol entered his body through a healing spray that his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi was then using to cure a wounded finger. He received massages from Naldi during the Indian Wells event in March, getting exposed to the banned substance.

The World No. 1's clarification satisfied the ITIA during a hearing in London. Thus, he was not handed a ban but stripped of the 400 ranking points and $325,000 prize money.

Recently, a picture of Sinner's physiotherapist Naldi cheering from the stands during the Indian Wells Open emerged on X (formerly Twitter). In the photograph, Naldi can be spotted clapping with one of his pinky fingers wrapped in a bandage.

The ATP has welcomed the ITIA's decision to free the 2024 Australian Open champion of any malpractice and apprised other players, saying:

"We are encouraged that no fault or negligence has been found on Jannik Sinner’s part. This has been a challenging matter for Jannik and his team, and underscores the need for players and their entourages to take utmost care in the use of products or treatments. Integrity is paramount in our sport."

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Jannik Sinner: "I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me"

Jannik Sinner (Getty)

After the ITIA tribunal issued the verdict in his favor, Jannik Sinner vowed to recover from the disappointment that came over him in the past few months.

"I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me," he stated.

He further promised to not err again, saying:

"I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA's anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance."

Sinner lifted the men's singles title at the Cincinnati Masters by beating Frances Tiafoe in the final a couple of days ago. He will now fly to New York to compete at the 2024 US Open as the first seed.

Last year at Flushing Meadows, he lost to Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the fourth round. His best US Open performance so far has been reaching the quarterfinals in 2022, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.