"Bro is traumatized";"Not taking any more chances" - Fans in splits over Jannik Sinner's new physio using gloves to massage Italian amid doping saga -

[Sudipto Pati]

Jannik Sinner's new physio Ulises Badio recently shared a picture of himself massaging the Italian wearing gloves. This unsurprisingly sparked a myriad of hilarious reactions from fans, considering the World No. 1's ongoing and highly controversial doping saga.

In the buildup to his 2024 US Open campaign in August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and Sinner himself jointly announced that the Italian had twice tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol back in March.

However, the announcement also revealed that Jannik Sinner had been given a provisional suspension, but that his legal defense team had swiftly and successfully appealed it. An independent tribunal was later appointed by the ITIA to delve deeper into the Clostebol-positive tests. The Italian's side maintained throughout that the contamination was accidental; a result of his then-physio, Giacomo Naldi, massaging him without wearing gloves.

According to Sinner's defense's account, Naldi was given a topical medication containing Clostebol by the Italian's then-trainer Umberto Ferrara to treat a cut on the finger. The physio then proceeded to massage Sinner sans gloves, with the Clostebol entering the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion's bloodstream via his skin lesions.

The independent tribunal concluded that this explanation was valid and that Jannik Sinner could continue playing. However, the Italian was docked the prize money and ranking points he accrued during his 2024 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) campaign; the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 event where he first tested positive for Clostebol.

Controversy inevitably ensued, leaving both big names in tennis, and the sport's fans polarized. While one side believed the story presented and maintained by Jannik Sinner's team, the other harshly questioned it, with many suggesting that the Italian was given preferential treatment because of his influential position in contemporary tennis. A few even called on the authorities to dole out a lengthy ban for the World No. 1.

Within a few days, Sinner sacked Naldi and Ferrara, soon replacing them with veteran rival Novak Djokovic's former physio Ulises Badio and ex-trainer Marco Panichi. Recently, Badio posted a picture of himself massaging Sinner. In the picture, he could be prominently seen wearing a glove on his right hand, which he was using to massage the Italian. This picture made its way to Reddit, where fans chipped in with their hilarious reactions to it.

One set of fans joked that the ongoing doping controversy has taken a hefty toll on Jannik Sinner's mental health and that the Italian wants to be extremely cautious about things going forward.

"Bro is traumatised," a fan wrote.

"Always use protection," commented another.

"Man's not taking any more chances hahaha," one chimed in.

Others poured in with a variety of reactions as well, ranging from light humor to ridicule.

"Bro is serious about keeping his job," wrote one fan, referring to Sinner's physio Badio.

"It might sound really dumb, but isn't a massage with a glove really uncomfortable? I guess many glove materials don't really go well with the massage oils and ointments, so, ahem, lubrication might be tricky," asked a seemingly confused fan.

"Apologies, but shouldn't they use a cream without clostebol?" yet another questioned.

Very recently, there were fresh twists and turns in Jannik Sinner's doping saga. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed against the ITIA-assigned independent tribunal's "no fault or negligence" verdict in World No. 1's favor and reportedly demanded up to a two-year ban for the Italian. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed, without specifying a date, that it will look into the WADA's appeal.

Meanwhile, Sinner himself, in action currently at the ongoing Rolex Shanghai Masters, is hopeful that things will go his way when the CAS takes up WADA's appeal.

Jannik Sinner recently voiced his confidence over CAS hearing WADA's appeal against his doping case​

Jannik Sinner (Source: Getty)

During his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2024 Rolex Shanghai Masters, Jannik Sinner stated that he is confident regarding CAS' final verdict being in his favor. Furthermore, the Italian said that he would be taken aback if it went against him.

"I'm very confident that it comes out very positively, or I would be very, very surprised if it would be the opposite side.You know, it's not a situation where I feel comfortable in, that's for sure, because I thought it was over, and now once again, so it's not easy," Jannik Sinner said.

The World No. 1 is currently preparing for his fourth-round match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, having defeated Taro Daniel and Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second and third rounds, respectively. Jannik Sinner is the top seed at the event and received a first-round bye as a result. In the fourth round, the Italian will face either Roberto Carballes Baena or Ben Shelton.





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Edited by Tushhita Barua