World No. 1 in men's tennis Yannick Siner has announced that he has fired his coach and physiotherapist after avoiding a doping penalty despite that he gave two positive tests in March.
The Italian tested positive for the muscle-building steroid clostebol after his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to a wound on his own hand before treating Sinner. The spray was given to him by coach Umberto Ferrara.
The Australian Open champion was exonerated last week after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted Syner's explanation that he was inadvertently infected by Naldi.
The positive doping tests came to light last Tuesday, a day after the Italian won his fifth Masters title of the year. in Cincinnati.
"Naldi and Ferrara were a huge part of my career. We did an amazing job, we brought a lot of success and we were a great team. Now, because of these errors, I don't feel so confident to continue with them. I've been struggling a lot these past months. I was waiting for the test results. "The only thing I need right now is fresh air," Syner said at a press conference at the US Open.
The Italian's case has sparked debate among other players who have failed a doping test.
Sinner has repeatedly maintained that he is innocent and was able to continue playing because his team quickly identified the source of the banned substance.
"The reason I could play was because we knew where the substance was and how it got into my body. This is very important because we notified the relevant authorities and they understood it immediately," he added.
"Anyone who tests positive must go through the same process. There is no shortcut, no different attitude. . . I sometimes understand the disappointment of other tennis players," he added.
The Italian admits that the situation was difficult for him, despite winning the title in Cincinnati last week.
"I always believed that I continued to play tennis because in the back of my mind I knew I had done nothing wrong," he added.