Jannik Sinner's former fitness coach explains his version on the Clostebol incident after "serious damage to his reputation"

Jannik Sinner's positive test for Clostebol, announced on 20 August, 2024, had huge repercussions in the tennis world, and the player is currently in the final month of his three-month ban following the appeal by World Anti Doping Agency. The Italian player and World No. 1 always explained that it wasn't his fault, and it was a result of an accidental contamination from his physiotherapist.

Sinner explained that his fitness coach Umberto Ferrara had bought a spray, Trofodermin. that contained Clostebol, that his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, used on a cut on his finger. He later gave Sinner a massage, and that's how Clostebol entered his body. "They have been a huge part of my career. Now, because of these mistakes, I'm not feeling that confident to continue with them", Sinner said after firing them.

Now, eight months later, Umberto Ferrera has finally broken his silence and gave his version of what happened, in an interview published last Thursday on La Gazzetta dello Sport, he says that he is not to blame, and puts the blame on Naldi. "I very clearly communicated to Naldi both the nature of the product, and the fact that it must not come into contact with Jannik for any reason". He says that he knew well the risks if that substance reached Sinner's body, so he only used it in his bathroom.

Ferrera says that, after the incident, he "suffered serious damage to his personal and professional reputation. Everyone has read articles or commentaries that report the facts in a way that is inconsistent with the ruling." Now, he works with Matteo Berrettini, who by the way, has just beaten Alexander Zverev, No. 1 seed, in the Round of 32 at the Monte-Carlo Masters.