Sinner Minimizes the Impact of the Split with His Team Before Wimbledon
The world number one, Jannik Sinner, has downplayed the impact of the recent separation from his coach and physiotherapist, Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, respectively, just days before the start of Wimbledon. The 23-year-old Italian tennis player surprised the world by announcing the split after the Halle tournament, and was asked about the situation.Panichi and Badio were part of Sinner’s team since September 2024 and contributed to his victory at this year’s Australian Open, adding three Grand Slam titles to his career. He also reached the final of the French Open this month, but lost an exciting match against Carlos Alcaraz. “Look, things can happen in this sport. Sometimes a player feels something different, and that’s my case.” Sinner suffered a disappointment at Roland Garros, where he lost to Alcaraz despite leading by two sets. He won a match in Halle before losing to Alexander Bublik, but affirmed he was mentally prepared for Wimbledon, where he hopes to become the first Italian singles champion.“Nothing important happened. Nothing serious happened. I separated not long ago, but it’s not affecting me. I feel ready to compete. I feel free. I feel that my team and I are ready to give our best,” Sinner told reporters, who is looking to win his first Wimbledon title.
Jannik Sinner
“I feel good. Especially mentally, I feel in a very good place. Halle was a bit different. Now it’s over and I also see the reactions of other players and people, they said that the level (of the French Open final) was very high. “I feel like I’m playing great tennis, great grass court tennis. I hope I can demonstrate this on the court as well.” Sinner served a three-month suspension earlier this year after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February, after authorities accepted that the anabolic agent clostebol had entered his system inadvertently through massages from his former physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi at Indian Wells in March 2024. During his time away, he explored some new talents, recording a single with Italian opera great Andrea Bocelli in which he says his lines. Although he won’t quit his day job, Sinner said it had been great to do something completely different. “I felt that, especially in these three months when I couldn’t play, it was the right time to also make the video together and everything,” he said. “Obviously, he’s an incredible artist. Being a part of this for me was incredible. It was a great, great work, a work in progress. I think we’re all very happy with how it turned out.”“Honestly, I feel ready to play. I feel prepared. We are training very well. What happened in the past is already in the past,” said Sinner, who will face his Italian compatriot Luca Nardi in the first round.
Jannik Sinner
