"Will never forgive what his stupidity did to Jannik Sinner" - Fans furious as Italian's ex-fitness coach breaks silence on doping test fiasco

Jannik Sinner's ex-fitness coach Umberto Ferrara recently broke his silence on the Italian's Clostebol-positive tests in 2024. However, Ferrara's take wasn't well-received by many tennis fans.

Sinner, the reigning World No. 1, is currently serving a three-month ban after coming to an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which was initially seeking a suspension of up to two years for the Italian.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrara said that he had recommended the use of the medication Trofodermin to Giacomo Naldi, Sinner's former physio, for treating a cut on his finger. Previously, it was believed that Ferrara had himself given Trofodermin to Naldi. It's this medication that contained the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol, which eventually made its way to Sinner's bloodstream after Naldi massaged him without wearing gloves.

"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 Naldi, I suggested using it because he had a cut on a finger that didn't heal and made his job complicated," Ferrara told La Gazzetta dello Sport. (translated from Italian)

"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. (translated from Italian)

Several tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) blatantly criticized Umberto Ferrara over his role in what eventually led to the three-month suspension for Jannik Sinner.

"Stupid fitness coach 😡😡 I can’t and will never forgive what his stupidity did to Jannik," a fan wrote.

"Enough. he's suffered for a year and is now serving ban for smth he never did while ur working on the tour again with a top player so shut it," commented another.

"Ferrara should have seized this chance to publicly apologise to Sinner, because Sinner is the only one who is completely innocent and yet the only one who's paying a price and whose reputation has been marred (in the eyes of idiots, we know, but still)," another fan chimed in.

Here are some more reactions from fans who were irked by Ferrara's take on Jannik Sinner's doping controversy:

"Is Ferrara a moron? "I didn't give [the spray] to Naldi, I only told him to use it" What difference does it make? "I told Naldi the spray shouldn't come into contact with Sinner" How was that supposed to work when Naldi's job is all about having a physical contact with Sinner?," asked an irate fan.

"And the best excuse of them all: "I allowed its use only inside my bathroom" How on Earth does it affect the properties of the spray?," the previous fan added via a separate post.

"F**k off you didn't deserve an ounce of the kindness he showed you," weighed in yet another fan.

Both Ferrara and Naldi remained in Jannik Sinner's team even after news of the World No. 1's Clostebol-positive tests was made public in the buildup to last year's US Open. However, it wasn't long before the Italian removed them from his team and hired replacements after critics built up pressure on him, questioning why they were still part of his team despite their respective roles in exposing him to the banned anabolic steroid.

The Italian later hired Marco Panichi as his new fitness coach and Ulises Badio as the new physio. Both Panichi and Badio were formerly in 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic's team.

Last year, Giacomo Naldi had spoken up about Jannik Sinner's doping controversy and defended himself against the criticism that came his way.

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Jannik Sinner's ex-physio Giacomo Naldi urged critics to go through verdict thoroughly last year

From left to right: Giacomo Naldi, Jannik Sinner, Umberto Ferrara, Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill celebrating the Italian's 2024 Australian Open title triumph (Source: Getty)

Giacomo Naldi came under fire from numerous critics who held him responsible for Jannik Sinner twice testing positive for Clostebol in early 2024. While he remained tight-lipped in the immediate aftermath of the news becoming public, he later opened up.

In an interview with La Stampa in October last year, after being removed from Jannik Sinner's team, Naldi defended his position. He alleged that people holding him solely responsible for Sinner's contamination didn't read the verdict thoroughly. At the time of the interview, WADA had already appealed against the decision of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to let the Italian continue playing.

"I'm sorry like everyone else, but I can't say anything else because unfortunately it's not over yet. I hope, sooner or later, I too can tell what happened to give a general picture. Because, from how this story has been interpreted by the general public, it seems that it was only my fault. But that is not the case, as anyone who has read the verdict knows. I realize that not everyone has made this effort," Naldi said.

Jannik Sinner agreeing to a three-month ban with WADA stirred controversy, with several critics hinting at a conspiracy considering the timing of the suspension. While the ban has ruled out the Italian from several ATP Masters 1000 events, he will not miss any Majors. Sinner started the 2025 season with a bang by successfully defending his Australian Open title, before the ban came into effect.