"Words have been put in my mouth" - Jannik Sinner's ex-physio linked to Italian's positive drugs tests breaks silence on hate he received

Jannik Sinner's former physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi recently spoke in detail about his reputation getting torn and tattered by tennis fans over his involvement in the Italian's doping case last year. According to Naldi, while he has never had any bad blood with the World No. 2, some of his comments have been twisted to paint him in a bad light.

Last March, Sinner tested positive for the banned substance clostebol on two occasions during his Indian Wells Masters campaign. The International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA)—pro tennis' biggest anti-doping body—kept the 24-year-old's positive tests hidden from fans until August 2024, when the then-World No. 1 came out with a lengthy statement detailing how the drug had entered his bloodstream.

Going by Jannik Sinner's account and subsequent investigations by the ITIA, the Italian's fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, had bought a spray that contained clostebol. The spray was eventually used by physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi to treat a cut on his own finger, following which he gave his former ward a massage. While the four-time Major winner maintained plausible deniability, he ended up removing both Ferrara and Naldi from his team.

The 24-year-old has since reunited with Umberto Ferrara, and Giacomo Naldi has found work with World No. 139 Francesco Passaro. In his recent comments to Gazzetta dello Sport, Naldi insisted that although the above controversy had hurt him "personally and rofessionally" he still maintains "good relations" with Sinner.

"I have never wanted to comment on what happened with Sinner's team and I will continue not to do so. Even though it is an affair that has hurt me, both personally and professionally," Jannik Sinner's ex-physio Giacomo Naldi told Gazzetta dello Sport (translated from Italian). "With Jannik? Even during the proceedings, we have always had good relations. I have always behaved correctly, I have never sought visibility."

During the interaction, the veteran physiotherapist also claimed Sinner's doping row has led to a negative perception of him on social media.

"These are the first official statements I have made since everything happened; sometimes words have been put in my mouth, taken out of context, which have triggered social media hate and controversies against me," he added.

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"Jannik Sinner and I have spoken, it was cordial" - Giacomo Naldi on his split with Italian

Jannik Sinner won his first-ever Major title with Giacomo Naldi [Far Left] | Image Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner's former physiotherapist further reiterated that his relationship with the World No. 2 remains cordial despite the stress that they went through last year. He also insisted that the Italian's detractors should read ITIA's ruling on the subject before making any unfounded insinuations.

"Jannik and I have spoken, it was cordial, we shared private matters. Beyond everything, the human relationship remains after a case that involved us, and it was just an unfortunate series of coincidences, and we are aware of it..." Naldi said. "How things went is now known to everyone, and those who don’t know can go read the ruling."

Sinner, meanwhile, won his first-round match at the 2025 China Open against Marin Cilic in straight sets earlier on Thursday (September 25). The 2023 champion will next face French qualifier Terence Atmane for a place in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament.