Jannik Sinner dismissed his fitness trainer and physiotherapist because of his two positive steroid tests in March and said on Friday at his pre-U.S. Open news conference — his first public comments about the issue — that he believed he was innocent but was concerned about the outcome of the case until he found out he wouldn’t face suspension.
Sinner’s fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, and his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had been with the 23-year-old Italian during his rise over the past two years, which included his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and reaching the No. 1 ranking in June.
“I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them,” Sinner said. “Now I just need some clean air.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced this week that Sinner failed two drug tests — one during a tournament in Indian Wells, California, and another eight days later — but determined that the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol entered his system unintentionally through a massage from Naldi.
“Obviously it has been a very tough moment for me and my team,” Sinner said. “It still is, because it’s quite fresh.”
Play begins Monday at Flushing Meadows. Sinner is the top-seeded man and is scheduled to face first-round opponent Mackie McDonald, an American ranked 140th, on Tuesday.
“Of course it’s not ideal before a Grand Slam,” Sinner said with a chuckle about the timing of the news. “But in my mind, I know that I haven’t done anything wrong.
I had to play, already, (for) months with this in my head, but just (was reminding) myself that I haven’t done really anything wrong. I always respect these rules — and I always will respect these rules — of anti-doping.”
