Rome: Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has rehired Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach nearly a year after firing him for his role 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 a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March; the case wasn’t made public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he ended up winning for the second of his four Grand Slam titles.
He initially was completely cleared, based on the defense that he accidentally was exposed to the banned substance, Clostebol, via a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi.