Sinner’s former fitness coach denies fault in doping scandal

Jannik Sinner’s former fitness coach Umberto Ferrera has denied any wrongdoing in the doping scandal that led to the world No.1 tennis player getting banned from the sport for three months.

Low levels of the banned substance clostebol were found in Sinner’s blood last March, which were traced back to a Trofodermin spray used by his physio Giacomo Naldi and provided by Ferrera.

The Italian was initially found not guilty of any negligence; however, upon appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency, he was handed a three-month ban from February 9 to May 4.

Both Ferrera and Naldi were subsequently let go from Sinner’s team, but the former believes he has been unfairly blamed for the incident.

“Everyone has read articles or comments that reported the facts in a way that did not comply with what was ascertained by the Independent Court with the sentence of August 19,” Ferrera said.

“I have been using it [the spray] for years as it is prescribed by the specialist doctor as a support drug for a chronic disease. 

“I was perfectly aware of the ban and I have always kept it with the utmost caution, in my personal bathroom.”

“I didn’t give anything to Naldi, I suggested that he use it because he had a cut on his finger that didn’t heal and made his job complicated. 

“I was very clear in communicating to Naldi the nature of the product and that there was no need for it to come into contact with Jannik.

“In fact, I have allowed it to be used only inside my personal bathroom. 

“Naldi did not deny that he had been informed, but said he did not remember.”

The fitness coach said that he felt “disbelief and amazement” when he heard about the positive test result, because he had done everything in his power to make sure that there was no contamination.

“Hearing about clostebol, the connection with Trofodermin was immediate,” he said.

“In a few hours we reconstructed the steps that led to Jannik’s contamination and I provided evidence of the purchase of the spray at a pharmacy in Bologna.

“In hindsight it’s easy to say that I wouldn’t do the same things again. 

“Surely, I would no longer rely on the behaviour of others. 

“I was made to suffer by the superficiality, sometimes aggravated by bad faith, with which many people treated my position within the affair.

“I have suffered serious damage to my personal and professional reputation.”

Even though Sinner’s three-month ban ends just a fortnight before the French Open in May, the 23-year-old remains a genuine title contender across tennis betting sites.

Sinner has also extended his lead at the top of the ATP rankings despite being sidelined, with a 2,685-point advantage over world No.2 Alexander Zverev heading into the European clay swing.

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