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Jannik Sinner Reinstates Controversial Fitness Trainer Umberto Ferrara Amid Doping Controversy

Jannik Sinner rehired fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara amid doping controversy and team changes.

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Jannik Sinner has made the unexpected decision to bring back Umberto Ferrara to his team this summer, as announced in a recent statement. This development follows Sinner’s dismissal of fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio in June, shortly before his victorious Wimbledon run.

Ferrara had been previously let go alongside physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi following Sinner’s doping case earlier this year. In March 2024, Sinner tested positive twice for the banned steroid clostebol. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found Sinner to be “of no fault” but attributed responsibility to Ferrara and Naldi for the contamination, reportedly linked to the use of a spray containing clostebol and subsequent treatment without gloves.

Despite the clearance, scrutiny has persisted since August 2024 when the ITIA’s report was made public. Sinner also served a three-month doping suspension earlier this season following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency after their appeal.

Former Italian tennis professional Diego Nargiso expressed surprise but support for the rehiring, stating to Repubblica, “I was very surprised by his return to the team. It’s a courageous choice on Jannik’s part, it confirms his determination: he knows how Umberto works, and he wants to continue along the path.”

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He added, “I believe that then it was an act [the firing] that was more necessary than desired. Maybe someone had done something negligent, but I know Umberto: he is a very attentive, scrupulous person, a great professional. Jannik wanted him back with him, rightly going beyond the chatter and controversies of some envious people.”

The decision to bring Ferrara back comes just 11 months after his dismissal. This change coincides with the revelation that Darren Cahill will not accompany Sinner for his US Open title defense later this summer, as Cahill plans to take a break. Simone Vagnozzi, Sinner’s long-time coach, is expected to lead the team during the tournament.

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Rafael Jodar Cracks ATP Top 50 After Barcelona Semifinal Run

Rafael Jodar rises to No. 42 in ATP rankings after Barcelona semifinal; a year ago he was No. 686 ’26

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Rafael Jodar has completed a rapid climb up the ATP rankings, leaping from No. 55 to No. 42 to register his first appearance inside the Top 50. The 19-year-old Madrid native reached his first ATP 500 semifinal in Barcelona, a run that delivered the ranking boost.

A year ago Jodar was ranked No. 686. His rise accelerated in recent weeks: three weeks ago he broke into the Top 100 for the first time, moving from No. 109 to No. 89 after reaching the third round in Miami as a qualifier. Two weeks later he captured the first ATP title of his career in Marrakech, which propelled him from No. 89 to No. 57.

The Barcelona run extended his winning streak to eight consecutive matches, and at one point he won 13 sets in a row. Those results are enough to make him the youngest player in the ATP Top 50 and the Top 100, roughly one month younger than fellow 19-year-old Joao Fonseca, who is ranked No. 31.

There are several other notable moves this week. Corentin Moutet moved from No. 31 to No. 30 for his Top 30 debut after reaching the second round in Barcelona. Twenty-year-old Spaniard Martin Landaluce made his Top 100 debut, rising from No. 101 to No. 99. Landaluce had surged from No. 151 to No. 106 after Miami, and despite a first-round loss in Barcelona he crossed into the Top 100 as other players fell.

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Winners and runners-up at last week’s ATP 500 events also advanced. Ben Shelton, who won Munich, remains at No. 6 but narrowed the gap to Felix Auger-Aliassime from a 200-point deficit (4,100 to 3,900) to just 30 points (4,100 to 4,070). Munich runner-up Flavio Cobolli rose from No. 16 to a career-high No. 13. Arthur Fils, the Barcelona champion, climbed from No. 30 to No. 25, his highest ranking since last September. Andrey Rublev, the finalist, moved from No. 15 to No. 12, his best position since last August.

On the WTA side, Elena Rybakina remains at No. 2 after winning the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, and Marta Kostyuk moved from No. 28 to No. 23 after taking the WTA 250 title in Rouen.

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Djokovic Sets New Standard with 860 Weeks in ATP Top 5

Novak Djokovic begins his record 860th week in the ATP Top 5, overtaking Roger Federer’s mark. Now.

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Novak Djokovic has extended his dominance in the ATP rankings by beginning his 860th career week inside the Top 5, a mark that moves him past Roger Federer’s previous record of 859 weeks.

The player currently listed at No. 4 on the rankings reached the milestone this week, adding another long-term statistical achievement to a resume already dense with records. Official ATP rankings began in August of 1973, and Djokovic’s run now stands as the most career weeks in the Top 5 in ATP history.

The scale of his consistency is underlined by where those weeks were spent. Of the 860 Top 5 weeks, Djokovic has occupied the No. 1 position for 428 weeks, the clear lead in ATP rankings history. Federer is next with 310 weeks at No. 1.

Breaking that total down further highlights Djokovic’s sustained excellence: 49.8 percent of his Top 5 weeks (428) were at No. 1. He has spent 599 weeks in the Top 2, representing 69.7 percent of his Top 5 span. His time in the Top 3 totals 764 weeks, or 88.8 percent, and he has held a Top 4 position for 823 weeks, equal to 95.7 percent of his Top 5 weeks.

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Those numbers reflect a career defined by long stretches at the very top of the sport rather than brief spikes. Reaching 860 weeks in the Top 5 is a cumulative testament to performance across seasons and surfaces, and it establishes a new benchmark for longevity among the modern era’s leading players.

Roger Federer’s long-standing record of 859 weeks has now been overtaken, and the milestone underscores the extraordinary durability of Djokovic’s presence among the elite. And there’s another record on the horizon, too.

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Ben Shelton Wins BMW Open and Signals Big Clay Ambitions

Shelton won the 2026 BMW Open, earning €478,935, a BMW iX3, Lederhosen and 500 ATP points. Since 2002

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Ben Shelton captured the 2026 BMW Open by Bitpanda, defeating fourth-seeded Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final. Playing before packed stands on Center Court at the MTTC Iphitos, Shelton jumped to a 4-0 lead in the opening set and never surrendered his composure.

Cobolli raised his level as the match progressed, but the world No. 6 stood firm, saving all six break points he faced and converting three of nine chances. The match lasted one hour and 30 minutes.

“I came out at a really high level,” said Shelton, who earned his fifth career title and third at ATP 500 level following Tokyo in 2023 and Dallas earlier this year.

“I have done that before against him, but the toughest thing is maintaining it, as he raises his level. I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played some great tennis, and I came through to win it in straight sets.

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“I am happy with my performance this week. I got better and better as the week went on, and I am pleased with the work my team put in here.”

Shelton received a prize cheque of €478,935, a brand-new BMW iX3 and traditional Bavarian Lederhosen. He also collected 500 ATP Ranking points.

“The car is great. It might be difficult to get it back to Florida, where I live,” Shelton said with a smile.

The Atlanta native now holds the biggest clay-court title by an American man since Andre Agassi captured the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2002, the year Shelton was born. He made clear he sees this victory as part of a broader push on the surface.

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“It’s huge. I have big ambitions on clay – a surface I want to keep improving on each year. It has become one of my favourite surfaces to play on.

“It’s a short season and some of the Americans choose not to play every event. But we had two guys in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. Success on clay is coming back. I am looking forward to being part of this progression of U.S. men’s tennis on clay. On the women’s side, they have a lockdown as they won the French last year. We as the men have some more to do but we are heading into the right direction. This is just one step in a long swing and let’s see what happens.”

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