Latest news with #WADA
Dubai Eye
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
Sinner re-appoints former fitness coach Ferrara
Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has re-appointed his former fitness coach Umberto Ferrara with immediate effect, the Italian world number one confirmed on Wednesday. Sinner parted ways with Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi last year following the investigation into his positive tests for banned substance clostebol. "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," a statement from Sinner's team said. "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 served a three-month suspension earlier this year after agreeing a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February after authorities accepted that the anabolic agent clostebol had entered his system inadvertently via massages from Naldi at Indian Wells in March 2024. WADA had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal's decision last August to clear Sinner of wrongdoing. Sinner, who returned to action in May and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final before beating him to win Wimbledon, said clostebol, which can build muscle mass, entered his system after Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to a cut on his own hand before carrying out treatments on Sinner. The spray had been given to Naldi by trainer Ferrara. Sinner was cleared of fault or negligence by an independent tribunal. Speaking at last year's U.S. Open, Sinner explained his decision to part ways with Ferrara and Naldi. "Now, because of these mistakes, I'm not feeling that confident to continue with them. I was struggling a lot in the last months. I was waiting for the result. The only thing I need right now is some clean air," he said. Ferrara, who had laid the blame for the incident on Naldi, worked with Sinner's fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini this year. Sinner, 23, had split with Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, his trainer and physiotherapist, before Wimbledon.
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Anti-doping amendment bill tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday tabled the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, providing greater 'operational independence' to the country's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) as prescribed by WADA. he contentious National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports has been retained but it would no longer have the NADA appeals panel under its jurisdiction as was the case in the original act passed in 2022. That act could not be implemented as WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) objected to 'government interference' in the NADA's functioning. 'The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to enhance institutional and operational independence of the National Anti-Doping Appeal Panel and the National Anti-Doping Agency to ensure autonomy in their decisions pertaining to operations, investigations and enforcement activities,' stated the bill's objectives.
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Been played': Kyrgios lashes Sinner after world No.1 rehires coach fired in doping saga
Nick Kyrgios has doubled down on his criticism of Jannik Sinner, after the Wimbledon champion announced that he had rehired his former fitness coach who was involved in the Italian star's doping case. Sinner recently parted ways with fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio and re-appointed Umberto Ferrara, nearly a year after firing him following the investigation into the Italian's positive tests for a banned substance. Kyrgios – who is a vocal critic of doping in tennis – lashed out at Sinner on social media platform X on Thursday morning. 'He got the same doc back,' he wrote on X with a series of potato emojis. 'We have been played ladies and gentlemen.' Sinner's teams did not give specific reasons for why Ferrara was rehired, other than that 'the decision has been made in alignment with Jannik's management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments' and that he starts with 'immediate effect'. '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,' they said in a statement on Wednesday. Last year, the world No.1 tested positive twice for traces of a banned anabolic steroid, which he said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy. He was ruled by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to bear 'no fault or negligence', but WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, Sinner ended up accepting a three-month ban for an anti-doping rule violation that did not result in the Italian losing any titles or prizemoney.
The Age
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘Been played': Kyrgios lashes Sinner after world No.1 rehires coach fired in doping saga
Nick Kyrgios has doubled down on his criticism of Jannik Sinner, after the Wimbledon champion announced that he had rehired his former fitness coach who was involved in the Italian star's doping case. Sinner recently parted ways with fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio and re-appointed Umberto Ferrara, nearly a year after firing him following the investigation into the Italian's positive tests for a banned substance. Kyrgios – who is a vocal critic of doping in tennis – lashed out at Sinner on social media platform X on Thursday morning. 'He got the same doc back,' he wrote on X with a series of potato emojis. 'We have been played ladies and gentlemen.' Sinner's teams did not give specific reasons for why Ferrara was rehired, other than that 'the decision has been made in alignment with Jannik's management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments' and that he starts with 'immediate effect'. '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,' they said in a statement on Wednesday. Last year, the world No.1 tested positive twice for traces of a banned anabolic steroid, which he said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy. He was ruled by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to bear 'no fault or negligence', but WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, Sinner ended up accepting a three-month ban for an anti-doping rule violation that did not result in the Italian losing any titles or prizemoney.
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘We've been played': Outrage as Jannik Sinner news rocks tennis world
Nick Kyrgios has led a wave of outrage as Jannik Sinner announced controversial high-performance coach Umberto Ferrara has returned to his team. In news that has dropped the jaws of many commentators, Sinner's new management group on Wednesday night announced the fitness coach has been re-hired 12 months after he was cut loose in the middle of the Italian's doping storm. The world number one received a three-month ban agreed with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February after admitting 'partial responsibility' for team mistakes. Since the revelation of Sinner's positive tests for the anabolic steroid clostebol, Sinner has constantly maintained his innocence, laying the blame squarely on his team. Although he quickly dismissed Ferrara and his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, after the revelation of his positive tests, Sinner still described Ferrara as an 'excellent coach' on the sidelines of the ATP Finals in Turin in November 2024. It has been one drama after another inside Sinner's inner circle. The four-time grand slam champ last month dumped fitness coach Marco Panichi and former physiotherapist Ulises Badio on the eve of Wimbledon without explanation. A quick reminder of last year's events shows why so many have been shocked by Sinner's announcement. The official findings of the controversial doping investigation published by WADA found Ferrara was in possession of the banned substance and was the person who supplied the spray to Naldi to help the physiotherapist treat a cut on his hand. According to WADA's findings, Naldi then massaged Sinner without wearing gloves when traces of the banned substance were still on his skin. Clostebol is an anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) derivative from testosterone and can be found in Trofodermin, which can be purchased without a prescription in Italy. Ferrara has also refused to accept blame for the scandal, and in April, said Naldi was at fault. Ferrara has yet to justify why he was knowingly carrying the banned substance other than to say it was for personal use. The decision to replace the pair with Ferrara has gone down like a lead balloon. Kyrgios, who has been one of Sinner's biggest critics, posted on X on Thursday morning: 'He got the same doc back. We have been played, ladies and gentlemen'. His post included laughing-out-loud and potato (spud) emojis. Aussie tennis great (and former Australian Open chief executive) Paul McNamee was also blown away. 'Jannik Sinner rehiring Umberta Ferrara has to be up there as one of the most astonishing PR moves in tennis history,' he posted on X. 'You can afford to hire anyone in the world. Why, oh why, Jannik?' Outspoken social media tennis commentator Pavvy G also launched into a rant on X, calling the entire sport 'corrupt'. He responded to Kyrgios' comment by writing: 'He (Sinner) is constantly promoted and protected, and he's lost all sense of reality and has delusions of grandeur. They think they are untouchable, it really does make a mockery of the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) and WADA for failing to ever sanction Ferrara, who knowingly had a banned performance-enhancing substance in his possession and ironically was Sinner's head of anti-doping control, too. Unbelievable.' He went on to post: 'I wonder if Sinner's PR team have realised what an almighty blunder that he has made yet? Look out for distraction tactics now. They will want to move on from this quickly, but I do fear the move to bring back Ferrara will have so much irreparable damage on the Sinner brand now. 'Even some Sinner fans are shocked that he is bringing back Umberto Ferrara to his team. 'I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Sinner has been badly advised, but I think this is their worst decision yet. Do they think they are untouchable now? 'I think Sinner's team have finally pushed the limits. It's outrageous tbh.' Sinner at the US Open last year said he was not 'feeling that confident to continue with them' when he gave Naldi and Ferrara the sack. Now he has suddenly done a backflip. 'Jannik Sinner has reappointed Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach with immediate effect,' his new management team Avima, announced in a brief statement. '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 US Open. '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.' WADA divided the tennis world in February when doping authorities announced Sinner would serve a three-month doping ban that allowed him to return to the ATP Tour on May 4, well ahead of Roland Garros, which began on May 25. Sinner returned to play Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final — a match widely regarded as one of the greatest in recent years. Sinner got revenge on Alcaraz in winning the Wimbledon gentlemen's final.
