Jannik Sinner agreed that the timing to fire two team members was not right, but also stated that he is mentally ready to compete in the Wimbledon. When asked about the reason for parting ways with Panichi and Badio, he replied, "There's not one specific thing"
Jannik Sinner (Pic: File Pic)
Jannik Sinner confirmed that he recently fired two of his team members: his fitness coach, Marco Panichi and physiotherapist, Ulises Badio, who were the replacements of those involved in the athlete's doping case.
Sinner confirmed the developments but refrained from explaining the reason for the change ahead of the Wimbledon 2025.
Speaking on removing the coach and physiotherapist from the team, the 23-year-old said, "Nothing seriously bad happened. They did great work for (the past) three months. Sometimes, things happen".
Last year, Sinner tested positive twice for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March but the case was not made public until August, shortly before the US Open, which ended up becoming the second of his three Grand Slam titles. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed against his exoneration, and Sinner agreed to serve a three-month ban that ended right before the Italian Open in May.
Sinner said his fitness trainer at the time, Umberto Ferrara, purchased a product in Italy and gave it to another tennis player, Naldi, for a cut on his finger. Naldi then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves.
The Italy-born player agreed that the timing of sacking the two team members was not right, but also stated that he is mentally ready to compete in Wimbledon 2025.
"The timing obviously isn't the best, but having done a lot of work (together) before, it won't affect this Grand Slam a lot. I feel well physically and mentally and ready to compete," he said.
When asked about the reason for parting ways with Panichi and Badio, Jannik Sinner replied, "There's not one specific thing".
Sinner is yet to find the replacements for Panichi and Badio, who were previously working with Novak Djokovic.
Speaking about their replacements, "I haven't thought about replacements. It's not the time to think about my options. But there are a lot of options," he concluded.
He was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open three weeks ago, wasting a two-set lead and three match points in a final that lasted 5 1/2 hours. He will play against Luca Nardi in an all-Italian match.
(With AP Inputs)
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