Why Jannik Sinner's rehiring of Umberto Ferrara was terrible for tennis

Jannik Sinner's rehiring of fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, who was directly involved in his doping case, was a controversial moment.

Jannik Sinner, along with Carlos Alcaraz, has been the ATP's best player since 2024. His excellent results and performances have earned him millions of fans worldwide, who give him vociferous support.

However, the Italian's reappointment of fitness coach Umberto Ferrara caused massive controversy. This article explains why that decision was harmful to tennis and reflected poorly on Sinner as a role model.

At the 2024 Indian Wells Open, Sinner twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol. That news was only revealed over five months later at that year's US Open because the International Tennis Integrity Agency's investigation was kept private.

Sinner's positive tests were caused by his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, giving the 24-year-old massages after using a spray containing traces of the banned substance. That spray was provided to him by Ferrara.

Despite not firing them when he privately discovered the news, Sinner removed Ferrara and Naldi when it became public. They were replaced by Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, who used to work with Novak Djokovic.

Sinner's fitness noticeably improved with that pair, meaning there was widespread shock when the four-time Grand Slam champion parted ways with them a few days before the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

But that did not come near to matching the widespread astonishment when Sinner reappointed Ferrara a few weeks later. Many could not believe that Sinner would want to be associated again with someone involved in the doping case that led to him serving a three-month suspension.

Although some, like Nick Kyrgios, wanted Sinner to receive a lengthier suspension, the ATP world No. 2 initially received much sympathy from others who felt the blame for his positive tests lay entirely with Ferrara and Naldi.

Many who held that opinion questioned whether Sinner deserved any suspension at all for something he did not know about, and thought it was such an unusual case that this year's Wimbledon champion could have been spared any punishment.

Much of that sympathy eroded after Sinner brought Ferrara back into his team. One of tennis's most important figures should have realized that he has a duty to protect the sport's broader reputation.

Had Sinner not rehired Ferrara and made it apparent to fans and his fellow players that he wanted to move on from the incident and never be in that position again, the former world No. 1 would have remained a man accidentally thrust into a terrible situation.

The deliberate choice to work with Ferrara indicates that Sinner is not concerned with how that decision undermines the doping process, which is a bad instinct after being in the headlines for the wrong reasons for several months.

When Sinner removed Ferrara and Naldi from his team a few months before the 2024 US Open, he claimed he could no longer trust them despite feeling they had done great work together before that moment.

Sinner's actions before and after that moment indicate an utter lack of sincerity. If the ATP Finals winner could not trust Ferrara and Naldi, why did he only split from them five months later when the story became public? The Italian seemed only to do it for reputational reasons.

Less than a year later, Ferrara returned to Sinner's team. It is highly unlikely that he suddenly began trusting Ferrara more after some time away, and supports the suspicion that he only got rid of the fitness coach initially because he felt obligated to when the doping saga became public.

Sinner's concern for himself clearly trumps the wider damage to tennis. The two-time Australian Open champion feels working with Ferrara will help him succeed, which matters more than harming the sport's image by having Ferrara back and centre again.

Unless someone else breaks through, Sinner and Alcaraz will be the ATP's biggest stars for years to come. That status brings a level of responsibility because of how much they can inspire other players.

Each year, there are always a few doping stories about lower-ranked players. A few weeks ago, a new case was very similar to Iga Swiatek's saga of testing positive for trimetazidine from contaminated melatonin tablets.

Although Swiatek's case also generated division, the Pole, who accepted a one-month ban, received more widespread sympathy than Sinner because dozens of players use melatonin, and she could not have reasonably expected them to be contaminated.

Sinner's misguided rehiring of Ferrara could have broader implications. Desperate lower-ranked players struggling financially might be tempted to use prohibited substances after seeing the former world No. 1 rehiring one of the men who made him test positive without facing repercussions.

Many kids and aspiring players idolize Alcaraz and Sinner. The Italian's move could negatively influence them, and it is disappointing that he did not consider them before bringing Ferrara back.