Novak Djokovic left stunned by Jannik Sinner's shock decision to fire 2 important team members ahead of Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic was taken aback by Jannik Sinner’s decision to part ways with two of his key team members, fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio. What made the move even more surprising was the timing, with Wimbledon just a day away.

Panichi and Badio came on board in September last year after Sinner found himself at the center of a doping controversy, testing positive twice for the banned substance Clostebol. The issue was linked to his then-physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi and fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara, both of whom were involved in the case and later replaced.

On Friday, June 27, it was reported that both Panichi and Badio had been let go from the team. The Italian later confirmed the news during his pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon.

Djokovic has since shared his two cents on the matter, admitting the decision genuinely “surprised” him. He told the media at SW19:

"I don't know what the reasons for the separation with Jannik are, it was a surprise for me too, because I think that Jannik's game and body have improved significantly in the last year and a half. But changes happen. It's not necessarily just about the professional relationship; it can be something private."

"As someone who has made changes, I understand that sometimes you simply don't fit in and decide to separate. Maybe you're looking for something new, something different. Then it's hard to generalize because we're all different," the Serb added.

Interestingly, both Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio were previously part of Novak Djokovic’s team. Badio worked alongside the Serb from 2017 to 2022, while Panichi was with him from 2019 until as recently as 2024.

Jannik Sinner clarifies that there was no serious fallout between him, Ulises Badio, and Marco Panichi

Jannik Sinner pictured at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships | Image Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner, during his pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon 2025, opened up about his decision to part ways with Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio at such a key moment in the season. He made it clear there was no bad blood between them and that the move isn’t affecting him.

Sinner said:

"Nothing major happened. Nothing big happened. I parted ways not long ago, but it's not affecting me. I feel ready to compete. I feel free. I feel me and my team, we are ready to do the best we can."

"We've reached incredible results in the past with them, so obviously huge thanks to them. We made some great job, but I decided to do something different. Look, in this sport things can happen. Sometimes a player feels something different, and that's my case," he added.

For now, Jannik Sinner’s full focus is on Wimbledon. He’s set to kick off his campaign at the grasscourt Major against fellow Italian Luca Nardi on Tuesday, July 1.