Doping case made Jannik Sinner so ill he missed the Olympics, says coach

Darren Cahill disclosed the physical and mental challenges, the Italian has gone through after failing two drug tests

The drugs case against Jannick Sinner made him so ill that he was forced to miss the Olympics with tonsillitis, according to his coach.
Darren Cahill lifted the lid on the physical and mental toll the case had taken on the world No 1, who it was announced on Tuesday had escaped suspension for twice testing positive for a banned steroid.
Cahill also raised the prospect of Sinner sacking the physiotherapist who an independent panel accepted had caused the positive tests during massages given to the player.
Those tests took place in March but Sinner was allowed to continue playing while fighting to clear his name, including at the French Open and Wimbledon, only to pull out of the Olympics last month citing tonsillitis.
Cahill told ESPN: “Yeah, he’s struggled. And I think it’s worn him down physically and mentally. He’s gotten sick a couple of times. He got tonsillitis, which is the reason why he missed the Olympics.
“We’re not looking for any sorrow or anything because we’re quite thankful that there is no ban attached.
“But I just want to stress that he’s a great kid, he’s incredibly professional, he’s maybe the most professional young man that I’ve ever had the chance to work with. He would never, ever intentionally do anything, and he’s in a situation that’s incredibly unfortunate.
“And the truth came out exactly what happened – there’s no fault, no negligence – and, hopefully, he can get this behind him now and continue to play and get better.”
Sinner’s physio, Giacomo Naldi, could now pay with his job for failing to take enough care to ensure a healing spray he used to treat a cut finger had not contained the banned steroid clostebol.
Neither he nor fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, who admitted supplying the spray to Naldi, were with Cahill and fellow coach Simone Vagnozzi as they were preparing for the US Open, which starts next week.
Cahill said: “We’re working through that decision at the moment. At the moment, it’s just Simone and I, the two coaches that are here, the tennis coaches, that are here. And we’re supporting Jannik at the moment.”
Sinner’s ban reprieve sparked a backlash from his fellow professionals, with Nick Kyrgios branding it “ridiculous”.
Cahill said: “I think everybody’s entitled to their opinion. I know this is a highly-sensitive issue for everybody: all coaches, all players, all fans.
“I will just stress that, again, Jannik is the most professional young man that I’ve had a chance to work with. He’s a good man, he’s been brought up by wonderful parents, he’s honest to the core. You can see that in the way he plays.
“I think, over time, this won’t affect his legacy in the game. I think people will understand that when you read through the entire statement and what he went through and how they determined him to have no fault or no negligence, I think you’ll understand it.
“Had they come back and given him fault, that would have been a real issue and he would not have deserved that.”