"Thank you all, but especially thank you to Jannik for his trust" - Jannik Sinner's fitness coach shares heartfelt message

Jannik Sinner's fitness coach Umberto Ferrara has released a touching message to the four-time Grand Slam champion after what was another successful year, despite the controversies.

It has been a truly dominant year for the Italian, who combined with Carlos Alcaraz have been virtually untouchable. They have collected all four Grand Slam titles, along with a plethora of other big events including a matchup in the final of the ATP Finals. Despite regaining his title in Turin and the $5 million coming with not losing a single match enroute to triumph, his number one ranking he held for so long once again traded hands with Alcaraz sitting on top of the pile heading into the new year.

It seems that Ferrara feels at home alongside Sinner, with him looking back on what has been a challenging but rewarding one. “I’ve been involved in sports for many years, but I never cease to be amazed by its beauty. Sport is commitment, dedication, sacrifice; it’s emotion, smiles, tears; it’s victory and defeat, joy and disappointment; it’s confronting yourself and others; it’s the desire to improve, the ability to analyse, confidence in hard work; it’s suffering in dark moments that leave a pain that’s hard to overcome, but it’s also believing in the possibility of getting back up and starting again with enthusiasm. It’s difficult to summarise everything in a single post. This season (which began with the collaboration of Matteo, whom I warmly thank) leaves me with unforgettable memories, which I was lucky enough to share with a fantastic team. Thank you all, but especially thank you to Jannik for his trust and for the beauty of this shared journey," he wrote on Instagram.

Sinner had previously let Ferrara go last August along with physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi after Sinner tested positive for a banned substance. Despite being cleared, a protest was lodged by the Anti-Doping Agency. eventually, Sinner agreed to a three-month suspension from February 2025, starting just after the Australian Open and culminating ahead of his home event, the Rome Open.

In July, he re-hired Ferrara to much controversy and speculation. In the time without Ferrara, Sinner had appointed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio in September. This partnership did not last too long, as Ferrara came charging back to the 24-year-old's camp.

His suspension and doping controversies did not prevent Sinner from kicking off from where he left off in 2024. He regained the Australian Open title in a more controlled final than the previous year, defeating Alexander Zverev in three sets. He returned to the court for the Rome Open, where the rivalry between him and Alcaraz once again began. The Spaniard got the first laugh on Italian soil, coming out on top in a tight first set before running away with the match. He would then produce an incredible yet heartbreaking comeback in the Roland Garros final. Sinner would be made to pay after he missed three match points and had a two-set lead abolished.

His revenge, surprisingly, would come at Wimbledon where he won his second title of the year and first Grand Slam title not on hardcourt. He got the better of Alcaraz in an imperious run at SW19. The pair reignited their feud in Cincinnati, but it did not last long with Sinner retiring due to illness. He would then lose his US Open crown to Alcaraz, and his number one ranking. This would be the final time he lost to his Spanish rival.

He succeeded in the China Open before retiring from the Shanghai Masters. He regained the Six Kings Slam title against Alcaraz in a lucrative win before coming out on top in the Vienna Open and Paris Masters. His ominous indoor hardcourt form prolonged into the ATP Finals where he had no issue in brushing off the competition to defend his title.