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Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
The optics of Jannik Sinner reappointing the fitness trainer he fired after doping scandal are not good
World No 1 Jannik Sinner has rehired a coach he fired after a doping offence. On the tennis court Jannik Sinner is easy on the eye – his liquid movements and effortless power make for compelling viewing. Off the court though, the optics are less appealing. After serving a three-month suspension for a doping violation, which tarnished his reputation, Sinner has added fuel to the fire by rehiring a staff member who was central to the doping violation in the first place. The world No 1 dismissed two of his staff because of his 2024 positive doping test. Umberto Ferrara, the man who, according to Sinner's defence, purchased a tube of Trofodermin, an over-the-counter spray, which contained the banned anabolic steroid clostebol, has been reinstated. 'Jannik Sinner has reappointed Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach with immediate effect,' a statement from Sinner's camp read. '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.' The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which investigated the case after Sinner returned a positive sample on 10 March 2024, concluded that the banned substance entered his system by accident. Sinner said his physio, Giacomo Naldi, who was given the medication by Ferrara, applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to his own skin to treat a small finger wound, and then administered massages between 5 and 13 March without using gloves, according to ITIA. Naldi was unaware that the product he had used on his cut contained clostebol, according to Sinner's defence. Clostebol is a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass. Plausible? A provisional suspension was applied with each positive test but he was allowed to keep playing after his team filed urgent appeals. Sinner subsequently fired Naldi and his fitness trainer Ferrara. It initially seemed an implausible defence, especially as the concept of strict liability is central to any doping code. It means athletes are responsible for what they ingest at any time. But ITIA found it plausible, as did the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) in the end. Wada had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal's decision last August to clear Sinner of wrongdoing. But Sinner and Wada came to a settlement before the case went to CAS. 'Wada confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation,' Wada said in February. 'Wada accepts that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage. 'However, under the Code and by virtue of the CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence.' Sinner was suspended for three months as a consequence of the positive finding. His ban ended just before the Italian Open in May and allowed Sinner to also play in the French Open later that month. He went on to make the final at Roland-Garros, losing an epic five-set match against Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner subsequently won the 2025 Wimbledon title with a four-set victory over Alcaraz. Poor optics While the handling of Sinner's case was done by the book, and his right to appeal his initial suspension was procedurally correct, the latest development is not a good look. Sinner's defence for what were minuscule traces of clostebol, were plausible and received the support of the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) Travis Tygart. 'Transparency was upheld. Why was he (Sinner) not provisionally suspended? Well, he was. But he appealed it, and they lifted it. That's within the rules,' Tygart told Daily Maverick. 'Sinner's samples showed less than one nanogram of clostebol, which is minute,' Tygart said. 'It was like 500 picograms. There is an experiment that the Cologne Laboratory did where they got this medication, this lotion over the counter, and they rubbed it on their hands. 'They let their hands dry and a little while later, they went and shook hands with someone else. 'They then took the urine from that someone else. The results showed they had a low level of 500 picograms of clostebol. 'So, as outrageous as this (Sinner) scenario sounds, we know it could happen.' Sinner now risks losing some of the understanding and sympathy he generated from sceptics, especially after his recent performances, allied to his respectful demeanour and growing rivalry with Alcaraz. It is boosting men's tennis and has helped rebuild his tarnished image. The sport needs a rivalry to maintain the high interest levels now that the era of the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – is over. But this feels like a misstep in his public relations rehabilitation. There's an underlying debate about accountability and perception, especially given Sinner's high profile as the current world No 1 and recent Wimbledon champion status. Ferrara might well be innocent in the entire saga, but considering the controversy around the incident and the subsequent investigation, was it the smartest move to re-employ a fitness trainer who provided a banned substance, innocently or not? While Sinner's team has framed the move as a strategic decision for performance and continuity, the reaction from the broader tennis community might not be so forgiving. DM Timeline 12 February 2024: Umberto Ferrara, Sinner's fitness coach, purchases Trofodermin, an over-the-counter spray containing the anabolic steroid clostebol, at a pharmacy in Bologna, Italy; 3 March, 2024: Physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi cuts his finger and, after bandaging it, begins using the Trofodermin spray, provided by Ferrara, for nine days. During this period, Naldi gives Sinner daily full-body massages without wearing gloves; 10 March 2024: Sinner provides two in-competition urine samples at the Indian Wells tournament that test positive for clostebol; 18 March 2024: An out-of-competition urine sample provided by Sinner, ahead of the Miami Open, also tests positive for clostebol; 4 April 2024: Sinner is formally notified of the adverse analytical finding and is provisionally suspended. He immediately appeals the suspension, which is lifted the following day; 17 April 2024: Sinner is notified of the second adverse finding. He again appeals the provisional ban, and it is upheld; 30 May 2024: The International Tennis Integrity Agency formally charges Sinner with anti-doping rule violations; 19 June 2024: Sinner's legal team submits detailed explanations, arguing inadvertent contamination due to Naldi's use of the spray and Sinner's skin condition; 15 August 2024: An independent tribunal hears Sinner's case while he is competing at the Cincinnati Open; 20 August 2024: News of the doping case is publicly revealed. The independent tribunal finds Sinner bore 'no fault or negligence' for the positive tests, effectively clearing him. He is stripped of prize money and points from Indian Wells; 23 August 2024: Sinner announces he is parting ways with both physiotherapist Naldi and fitness coach Ferrara; 26 September 2024: The World Anti-Doping Agency lodges an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the ITIA's 'no fault or negligence' ruling, seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner; 10 January 2025: CAS schedules a closed-doors hearing for the Wada appeal on 16 and 17 April 2025; 9 February 2025: Sinner's period of ineligibility (ban) officially begins, after he reaches a settlement agreement with Wada; 15 February 2025: Wada and Sinner announce a case resolution agreement, where Sinner accepts a three-month ban for the anti-doping rule violation. Wada withdraws its appeal to CAS. The ban means Sinner cannot play until 4 May 2025; 13 April 2025: Sinner is cleared to resume official training activities with his team; 4 May 2025: Sinner's three months of ineligibility ends, making him eligible to return to competition; 7 May 2025: Sinner is able to play in the Italian Open, his first tournament back after the ban; 23 July 2025:
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Anti-doping bill 2025 passed: Independent panels, no athlete fines, Wada demands met
Representational image New Delhi: An independent Appeals panel, the non-imposition of financial sanctions on athletes caught doping and ensuring the operational independence of the nation's anti-doping watchdog are some of the key highlights of the 'National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2025', which was introduced in Parliament by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha after the govt addressed objections raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which included reducing the extensive powers granted to the proposed 'National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports' under the legislation. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The original bill, introduced by then sports minister Anurag Thakur and passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in 2022, faced significant scrutiny from Wada for sustained govt interference and undermining the independence of the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada). The govt's continued control over Nada and the Appeals panel through the formation of the anti-doping Board led Wada to threaten a ban on India by disaffiliating the nation as its member and derecognising the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in Delhi. Following intense discussions between the sports ministry under Mandaviya and Wada officials, an amended version of the bill was introduced without substantial govt interference. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Prior to the bill's introduction, supervision and control over Nada were exercised by a governing body chaired by the sports minister. The Lausanne-based Wada, while revising its anti-doping Code, ensured that National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) remain free from any govt overreach, citing conflicts of interest when NADOs are controlled by their respective union govt. Poll Do you support the removal of financial sanctions on athletes caught doping? Yes, it's a fair decision. No, there should be consequences. Once the legislation becomes an Act, the anti-doping Board will no longer oversee the Appeals panel as was the case in the original bill passed in Aug 2022. Additionally, a clause in the previous bill that allowed the imposition of financial sanctions, including proportionate recovery of costs from athletes, was removed after Wada objected to it. 'The amended bill seeks to enhance institutional and operational independence of the Appeals panel and Nada to ensure autonomy in their decisions pertaining to operations, investigations and enforcement activities,' stated the bill's objectives. The amended version includes: 'The Board may call for such information from the Disciplinary panel and the Appeals Panel on its operations and issue such directions, as may be necessary, for the effective and timely discharge of their functions with respect to Anti-Doping Rule Violations under this Act. Provided that such directions shall be limited to procedural efficiency of the Disciplinary Panel and the Appeals Panel and shall not, in any case, interfere with their decision making process. ' The amended bill comes as India topped Wada's 2023 testing figures last month, analysing 5,000 or more samples. Salient Features of the bill * To promote and strengthen the anti-doping measures in sports and to provide a statutory framework for the operation of the Nada, NDTL and for creation of the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports. * Enhance institutional and operational independence of the Appeals Panel and Nada to ensure autonomy in their decisions pertaining to operations, investigations and enforcement activities. * Further align the provisions of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 with international best practices and the Wada Code. * Provide that such of the provisions of the Wada Code as are set out in the Schedule shall have the force of law in India Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
United News of India
7 days ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Sinner reappoints fitness coach Ferrara
Rome, July 23 (UNI) World number one Jannik Sinner has re-appointed fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, with whom he parted ways following the investigation into his positive tests for a banned substance. Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi left the Italian's team last August, five months after Sinner returned two positive tests for clostebol. "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 read. "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." Sinner was cleared by an independent tribunal of any wrongdoing last August but the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed against the panel's ruling that he "bore no fault or negligence". The 23-year-old accepted a three-month ban in February after reaching a settlement with Wada. Wada said it accepted that Sinner did not intend to cheat but bore responsibility for "the entourage's negligence". Sinner said the substance clostebol, which can increase muscle mass, entered his system when Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to treat a cut on his hand, according to a BBC news. Ferrara said he provided the spray to Naldi for personal use and warned him not to use it on Sinner. After the departures of Ferrara and Naldi, Sinner appointed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio in September. However, he parted ways with them shortly before this year's Wimbledon. Sinner made his return at the Italian Open in May. He lost the French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller in June, before beating him in the Wimbledon final this month to win his fourth Grand Slam. UNI BM
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Jannik Sinner reappoints fitness coach he dropped after doping scandal
The Wimbledon men's singles champion Jannik Sinner has reappointed his former fitness coach Umberto Ferrara with immediate effect, the Italian world No 1 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 US 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 US 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.
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Jannik Sinner reappoints fitness coach he dropped after doping scandal
Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has reappointed his former fitness coach Umberto Ferrara with immediate effect, the Italian world No 1 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 US 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 US 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.
