World No.1 Jannik Sinner is set to begin his quest at Wimbledon soon. After shining at the Roland Garros, on clay, but failing to cross the finish line against arch rival Carlos Alcaraz, the three-time major winner looks to focus on capturing his maiden Gentlemen’s trophy. The practice sessions are on, Sinner looks in good touch when it comes to fitness. But guess what? Something seems missing from his camp. Two key members, namely Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio. They came on board last year. However, they are nowhere to be seen right before the Italian’s campaign at the All England Club. So what happened?
Earlier this week, on Friday, it was revealed that Sinner had parted ways with his fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio. They both joined him back in September 2024, after the Italian fired previous staff members, Umberto Ferrara and Giacomo Naldi, in the same roles after he had tested positive for a banned substance.
By August, however, the ITIA had cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing while citing “no fault or negligence.” The agency approved his explanation that the failed test was a result of an accidental contamination. Former physio Naldi had used a head spray, containing the substance, to treat a wound on his hand, and had then gone on to give Sinner a massage on his back and apply treatments to his feet. The Italian later went on to say that he wasn’t really “confident to continue” with Ferrara and Naldi and wanted “some clean air.”
So what did he do? Sinner brought Panichi and Badio into his camp. The resume was amazing as they had worked with 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic before joining the World No.1. After their addition, Sinner went on to find a lot of success on tour. In November, he won the ATP Finals and then clinched his second-straight Australian Open title earlier this season. But now, they are not there.
During a pre-event press conference ahead of Wimbledon, Sinner revealed, “I parted ways not long ago. Up to now I have always had a good time and we have done great things, but I wanted to do something different and now I am curious to know what will happen in London in the next two weeks.” But why? Is there a specific reason to let go of Ferrara and Badio? Well, according to Sinner, “There is no specific reason and I can assure you that nothing sensational has happened.”
Jannik Sinner was asked about his split with Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio:
“I parted ways not long ago. Up to now I have always had a good time and we have done great things, but I wanted to do something different and now I am curious to know what will happen in London in the… pic.twitter.com/aKvSEoT7Ar
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 28, 2025
He admitted that he had a “good time” working with Panichi and Badio, “even reaching the final at Roland Garros was a great goal regardless of how it went.” But things didn’t really transpire as intended at the Halle Open, as in the second round itself, the World No. 1 was ousted by Alexander Bublik. Eventually, he “decided to (make) change after Halle.”
So what about the substitutes? Has he figured out who will replace Panichi and Badio? Sinner simply said, “we have not thought about substitutes, it is not the right period. There are certainly possibilities, I understand that the timing was strange but having worked a lot beforehand I will not suffer the consequences of this decision now”
It will be intriguing to see how much his latest decision affects his plans at Wimbledon. Currently, there’s no physio or fitness trainer in his team for the grass major. But more than anything, the Italian will simply concentrate on defying the odds in London. After all, despite promising campaigns in recent seasons, he’s yet to clinch a title at the All England Club.
Jannik Sinner looks to alter his unfortunate Wimbledon pattern
As strange as it sounds, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam where Jannik Sinner is yet to reach the final. That being said, after a first-round exit four years ago, his subsequent appearances have been reasonably good. In 2022’s edition, he made it to the QF stage before losing against eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Then, a year later, he succeeded in entering the Wimbledon semifinal for the first time. Unfortunately, he faced Djokovic again, who ended his run.
Last season, too, Sinner looked promising but couldn’t move past the QF phase. His campaign wrapped up with a defeat against Russian star Daniil Medvedev. During the post-match conference, the Italian admitted, “Already this morning I didn’t feel great. I had some problems.” “Then with the fatigue, it was tough. But take nothing away from Daniil. I think he played very smart. He played good tennis. That’s it.” He had asked to talk to his physio in the middle of the match after facing dizziness.
“The physio told me it was better to take some time because he watched me and I didn’t seem in shape to play. I was struggling physically. It was not an easy moment. I tried to fight with what I had today.”
This time, Sinner will kick off his Wimbledon campaign against compatriot Luca Nardi on July 1. It will be their first meeting in any ATP tournament. The three-time major winner will look to start on a winning note and make a deep run eventually. What are your thoughts on his prospects on grass this season? Let us know in the comments below.
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