Jannik Sinner takes drastic decision days before Wimbledon in major tournament shake-up

Top Five Greatest Wimbledon Finals
Callum Vurley

By Callum Vurley


Published: 27/06/2025

- 17:52

Jannik Sinner is one of the favourites to go all the way this year at Wimbledon

World number one Jannik Sinner has made a stunning decision to part ways with fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio just three days before the start of Wimbledon 2025.

The Italian's shock move to dismiss two key members of his support team comes with the Championships set to begin on Monday, leaving the tennis world bewildered by the timing.


Sky Sports first reported the departures, which were later confirmed by Italian outlets including Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport.

No explanation has been provided for the sudden shake-up, with Sinner set to begin his campaign as top seed against compatriot Luca Nardi.

Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner has decided to part ways with two key members of his support team just days before Wimbledon

PA

Panichi and Badio had joined Sinner's team in September 2024, replacing his previous trainer Umberto Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.

The staff changes came after Sinner's high-profile doping case, in which he tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol during the Indian Wells Masters last year.

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Sinner successfully argued the substance entered his system through bare-handed massages from Naldi, who had been using a healing spray containing Clostebol for a finger wound.

The Italian split with Ferrara and Naldi in August 2024 following the controversy, which ultimately resulted in a three-month suspension that ended earlier this year.

The 23-year-old has endured mixed fortunes since returning from his suspension, capturing the Australian Open but suffering defeats to Carlos Alcaraz in both the Italian Open and French Open finals.

His grass-court preparation has been minimal, competing only at the Halle Open where he suffered a surprising round-of-16 exit to eventual champion Alexander Bublik.

Despite holding the world number one ranking and top seeding at SW19, Sinner enters the Championships with questions surrounding his form and readiness.

His 2025 record stands at 19-3 with one title, though the Italian has never progressed beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon in his career.

Both Panichi and Badio previously worked with Novak Djokovic, with Badio serving the Serbian champion from 2017 to 2022 and Panichi from 2019 to 2024.

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Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner is one of the favourites to win Wimbledon this year

PA

Their expertise helped Djokovic maintain peak fitness levels and extend his career to secure record-breaking achievements.

The timing of Sinner's decision has raised eyebrows across the tennis community, with the Italian certain to face intense questioning during his pre-tournament media obligations this weekend.

Osteopath Andrea Cipolla has joined Sinner at Wimbledon alongside his coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, though replacements for Panichi and Badio have yet to be announced.

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