Umberto Ferrara, former physical trainer of tennis world number one Jannik Sinner, has distanced himself from any wrongdoing in the doping case that led to the three-time Grand Slam champion’s three-month suspension.
Ferrara, speaking publicly for the first time since the scandal emerged, placed the blame on Sinner’s ex-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Both Ferrara and Naldi have been dismissed from Sinner’s team following the incident.
Sinner accepted a three-month suspension in February after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), acknowledging “partial responsibility” for the errors made by his team. WADA concluded that the Italian player had unknowingly come into contact with the banned substance clostebol due to contamination from Naldi.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrara explained that he had been prescribed clostebol spray for a medical condition and had used it himself for years while ensuring it was securely stored.
He admitted that he suggested Naldi use the spray for a slow-healing cut but stressed that he had explicitly warned the physiotherapist about the substance’s banned status.
“I made it clear that it must never come into contact with Jannik. I even told him to use it only in my bathroom,” Ferrara stated.
Despite this, Ferrara claimed Naldi failed to follow precautions, neglecting to wear gloves or wash his hands before treating Sinner, which likely led to the unintended contamination.
Reflecting on the incident, Ferrara admitted that, in hindsight, he would have handled things differently. However, he maintained that he was not at fault.
“I have suffered during this affair due to the bad faith of some,” he said.
Ferrara has since moved on to work with Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini.
Sinner’s suspension is set to end on May 4, just in time for his return to competition ahead of the French Open. The Italian star will first compete at the Italian Open in Rome from May 7-18 before heading to the French Open, which runs from May 25 to June 8.
The reigning US and Australian Open champion reached the semi-finals of the clay-court Grand Slam last year and will be looking to make a strong comeback after his forced absence.
