Jannik Sinner’s former physio has finally spoken out about his role in the doping saga which saw the Italian tennis star provisionally suspended from the sport.
The US Open champion first tested positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol during Indian Wells on March 10, then again eight days later.
On both occasions the world number one successfully appealed and was allowed to continue playing while the evidence was assessed.
Sinner, 23, was then successful in convincing an independent tribunal that the two positive tests finding an extremely small quantity of the substance in his system – less than a billionth of a gram – had been a consequence of contamination.
The Italian is still at risk of being banned from tennis after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided to appeal the decision last month and now his former physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi has broken his silence on the situation, in an interview with La Stampa.
Jannik Sinner’s former physio Giacomo Naldi (pictured, left, with Sinner after his Australian Open win) has finally spoken out about his role in the doping saga
The US Open champion first tested positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol during Indian Wells on March 10
Sinner, 23, also won the US Open in New York this year after beating Taylor Fritz in the final
He said: ‘I’m sorry like everyone else, but I can’t say anything else because unfortunately it’s not over yet.
‘I hope, sooner or later, to be able to tell what happened too to give a general picture. Because from how this affair has been interpreted by the general public it seems that it was just my fault.
‘But that’s not the case, as anyone who has read the ruling knows. I realise that not everyone has made this effort.’
Naldi became a father recently to a daughter, named Letizia, and decided to make his Instagram account private after he received a slew of abusive comments.
‘Jannik was very kind: when Letizia was born, he wrote to me,’ he said.
‘Like the whole team. I have a cordial relationship with Jannik. In general, I have received demonstrations of affection especially from those who know me personally.
‘On social media, however, I have read bad messages and I have been insulted. Because what happened, in the telling of this story, happened a little badly.’
The explanation Sinner gave for the positive test was that a month before travelling to Indian Wells, fitness coach Umberto Ferrara bought an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol in Italy.
Then during the Indian Wells event, Naldi cut his finger and was advised by Ferrara to use the spray to treat the wound.
According to a statement from the Sinner team: ‘The physiotherapist treated Jannik and his lack of care coupled with various open wounds on Jannik’s body caused the contamination.’
The tribunal heard that Sinner suffers from skin condition psoriasiform dermatitis, which can cause irritation and, if scratched, cuts and sores. This was accepted as the reason for the clostebol entering his body via the physio’s finger.
The explanation Sinner gave for the positive test was that before travelling to Indian Wells, fitness coach Umberto Ferrara (left) bought an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol
The Italian is still at risk of being banned from tennis after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided to appeal the decision last month
The tennis star might not find out his fate until next year following an appeal
Sinner has since dismissed both Ferrara and Naldi from his team.
On September 26, the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed against the verdict that there was ‘no fault or negligence’ on Sinner’s behalf. WADA argues that the ruling is not in line with the applicable rules.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency has acknowledged WADA’s right to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but the verdict may not be released until next year.
