Jannik Sinner has officially stopped working with Giacomo Naldi and Umberto Ferrara after their role in the Italian's two positive tests for a banned substance.
Sinner is currently preparing for the US Open and trying to put the shocking news of testing positive for the substance clostebol on two occasions during the Indian Wells Open behind him, although that will not be easy.
The Italian did not receive a suspension and was cleared of wrongdoing. However, he lost his ranking points and prize money from the Indian Wells Open, narrowing his lead as the world's No. 1.
Some players and fans were unhappy that the case was kept private for five months. Denis Shapovalov accused the International Tennis Integrity Agency(ITIA) of acting differently depending on the player's status.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander also slammed the case's handling. Although the Swede believes Sinner made a genuine mistake, he thinks the ITIA may have kept the case private due to his position as the world No. 1.
Others disagree with the notion of any bias towards the 23-year-old. While dismissing those who think Sinner may have been doping at the Australian Open, Andy Roddick said the rules were followed in the case.
Although there are differing opinions on how the case was managed and whether Sinner should have faced a suspension for testing positive, one area of widespread agreement is Naldi and Ferrara's actions being careless.
Unfortunately for them, they paid the price for their actions after it was officially confirmed that the Australian Open champion was no longer working with either man.
Corriere dello Sport reported that the pair were no longer working with Sinner. The publication states that their role in the Italian's positive tests is the reason for this, and no other external factors played a role.
This is not a sudden decision from Sinner. The pair had not been working with him for several weeks, and a small number of fans noticed their absence at the time. The reason for that has now been made clear.
Sinner's explanation, which was eventually accepted by the ITIA, stated that Ferrara bought an over-the-counter spray called Trofodermin for a cut on Naldi's finger. The spray contains traces of clostebol.
The Italian said he was not aware that Naldi was using a spray that contained clostebol. Without that knowledge, he allowed Naldi to give him massages without gloves, thinking no harm would come of it.
However, Naldi's use of the spray meant he had clostebol in his hands when he was giving Sinner massages. The clostebol entered the recent Cincinnati Open champion's system through a cut.
Sinner had a strong relationship with Naldi and Ferrara, meaning the decision must have been difficult. But he would have faced constant scrutiny if they remained in his team, and the Davis Cup winner would also have found it difficult to trust them again.
The decision to part ways with Naldi and Ferrara was inevitable after the controversy caused by his two positive tests. Their chances of getting future high-profile jobs in tennis look slim.
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