Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has rehired Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach nearly a year after parting ways with him due to his involvement in the top-ranked player’s doping case.
Sinner ended his association with Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi last year following an investigation into his positive tests for the banned substance Clostebol in March.
The reunion comes after Sinner recently removed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio from his team.
“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 U.S. Open,” Sinner’s team said in a statement. “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 received a three-month ban in February as part of an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against an independent tribunal’s decision in August to clear Sinner of any wrongdoing.
Sinner returned to action in May, lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, and then defeated him to win Wimbledon. He claimed that Clostebol entered his system after Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to a cut on his hand before treating Sinner.
The spray had been provided to Naldi by Ferrara.
Sinner was cleared of fault or negligence by the independent tribunal, which accepted that he had inadvertently been contaminated with the substance.
Speaking at last year’s US Open, Sinner explained his decision to part ways with Ferrara and Naldi, saying he was “not feeling that confident to continue with them.” Ferrara, who attributed blame for the incident to Naldi, worked with Matteo Berrettini this year.
