Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has rehired Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach, nearly a year after dismissing him for his involvement in the top-ranked player’s doping case.
The move comes after Sinner recently removed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio from his team.
“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,” a statement from Sinner’s team said Wednesday.
Last year, Sinner tested positive twice for trace amounts of the anabolic steroid Clostebol in March. The case did not become public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he went on to win — the second of his four Grand Slam titles.
He was initially cleared after arguing that he had accidentally been exposed to the banned substance through a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi.
Sinner said Ferrara, his fitness coach at the time, had purchased a product in Italy and given it to Naldi for a cut on Naldi’s finger. Naldi then treated Sinner without wearing gloves.
Following the incident, Sinner dismissed Naldi and Ferrara. Ferrara was later hired briefly by Matteo Berrettini, another Italian player.
The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed Sinner’s exoneration, and the player agreed to serve a three-month ban, which ended just before the Italian Open in May this year.
Sinner, who lifted the Wimbledon trophy this month, will return to competition at the Cincinnati Open next month as he prepares to defend his U.S. Open title.
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