Jannik Sinner Parts Ways with Ulisess Badio and Marco Panichi Ahead of Wimbledon

Ulisses Badio and Marco Panichi are no longer working with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The news, first reported by Sky Sport Italy and later confirmed by the Italian player during Wimbledon Media Day, came just before the start of Wimbledon and was completely unexpected. There had been no signs of trouble; in fact, Badio was present at the Halle tournament just a couple of weeks prior. Nevertheless, Sinner abruptly chose to end his collaboration with both his physiotherapist (Badio) and his athletic trainer (Panichi).

Sinner reassures: “Nothing crazy happened”

Despite the weight of the announcement, Sinner downplayed its importance, offering little explanation.

“There’s not a specific reason, nothing crazy happened,” he told the press. “In sports, things can happen, and it’s nothing incredible.”

He acknowledged that the timing of the decision might seem strange, but he currently has no plans to replace them. Just like last year–when he dismissed Giacomo Naldi and Umberto Ferrara following the Clostebol case–Sinner will be accompanied by only three people at Wimbledon: coach Simone Vagnozzi, supercoach Darren Cahill, and osteopath Andrea Cipolla.

A Desire for Change

Later on, Sinner elaborated slightly on his motivations:

“I think there are just moments when you have to do something different. So far, I’ve had a good time, and even reaching the final at Roland Garros was a great achievement, regardless of the result. I made the decision after Halle.”

Speaking about the timing, he added:

“I parted ways not long ago. We’ve had good times and accomplished great things, but I wanted to try something different. Now I’m curious to see what will happen in London over the next two weeks.”

Badio and Panichi had joined Sinner’s team in September of the previous year, bringing with them extensive experience, including working with Novak Djokovic in the past.

Djokovic’s Surprise

Novak Djokovic himself commented on the news in the press conference, expressing surprise at the split:

“I don’t know what the reasons are for the split with Jannik. It came as a surprise to me as well because I think Jannik’s game and body have really improved so much over the last year, year and a half. They’ve been an integral part of that team. I don’t know, to be honest.”

“But changes happen. It doesn’t necessarily relate only to your professional relationship. It could be something private.” he added.

Despite the sudden separation, there appear to be no hard feelings. Ulisess Badio wrote on Instagram:

“Thanks for the time and challenges we shared. Ciao Jannik.”