Jannik Sinner has revealed why he rehired Umberto Ferrara after previously sacking the fitness trainer in the aftermath of his failed doping tests.
On July 23, it was announced that Ferrara had made a surprise return to Sinner’s team just over a week after he won Wimbledon.
“The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open,” a statement from Sinner’s team read.
“Umberto has played an important role in Jannik’s development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level.”
Sinner made the decision less than a month after he fired fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio on the eve of Wimbledon. Panichi and Badio previously spent long spells working with Novak Djokovic.
The world No 1 fired both Ferrara and his former physio Giacomi Naldi ahead of the 2024 US Open after it was revealed he had failed two doping tests in March last year.
In his pre-tournament press conference at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, Sinner refused to offer any further details when asked about his choice to reappoint Ferrara.
“Yeah, I think we said it all, everything in the statement,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said. “I’m very happy to be here and play again this tournament.”
The Italian was asked about the topic again after his quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime in Cincinnati, and this time he explained Ferrara’s return.
“It was a different situation. Now everything is different. I felt like, at this point, I needed someone who knew my body better,” the 23-year-old said.
“We worked together for about two years before this break. His work has brought me a lot of benefits.
Jannik Sinner News
The reason for Jannik Sinner’s shock split with team members before Wimbledon has been revealed
Jannik Sinner posts some stunning statistics as he takes his dominance to another level
“We worked on every area of my body: mobility, stability, and even my body’s endurance has improved. I think he did a great job.
“I also got along well with Marco [Panichi], but maybe he wasn’t the best choice. I’ve always had a good feeling about Umberto.”
Ahead of the 2024 US Open, Sinner revealed he had lost confidence in Naldi and Ferrara as he addressed their departures.
“I want to start with [saying] that they have been a huge part of my career,” Sinner said.
“We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me. Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them.
“I was struggling a lot in the last months. Now I was waiting for the result, and now I just need some clean air.”
It was revealed in August 2024 that Sinner had twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024 — during and after the Indian Wells Masters.
The world No 1 initially avoided a ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that an independent tribunal ruled he bore “no fault or negligence.”
Sinner later served a ban from February 9 to May 4 after settling his case with the World Anti-Doping Agency – which had planned to appeal the ITIA’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
READ NEXT: Legendary coach breaks down how Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner are ‘changing the game’
The post Jannik Sinner reveals reason for rehiring fitness trainer he fired over his failed doping tests appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply