According to Corrierra della sera, Sinner was bothered by Panichi disclosing team information in interviews, including after the French Open final, where he blew three championship points and lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
The fitness trainer revealed that the world No. 1 cried for 15 minutes in the locker room after the match and was upset with the clear public support for Alcaraz.
Badio, meanwhile, was seen as a ‘collateral victim’ in the split, as he and Panichi came as something of a package deal. They were previously both part of Novak Djokovic’s team.
Panichi has reportedly always been resistant to team rules that coaches can only speak publicly when authorised. During his nine-month partnership with Sinner, he was “talking too much.”
However, four-time Major winner Sinner shut down suggestions that there was an underlying reason for their split when he turned up at Wimbledon without Panichi or Badio.
“No, nothing major happened. Nothing big happened. I parted ways not long ago, but it’s not affecting me. I feel ready to compete. I feel free. I feel me and my team, we are ready to do the best we can,” he said.
“Yeah, so I’m here to play good tennis. I think that’s my main goal, the main reason why I’m here. We’ve reached incredible results in the past with them, so obviously huge thanks to them. We made some great job, but I decided to do something different.
“As I said, there’s not one specific thing. Nothing crazy happened. That’s for sure not [the case].
“As I said, we made some great work. For me, the final in Roland Garros was an amazing achievement. That’s it. Look, in this sport things can happen. There is nothing incredible, no, because sometimes a player feels something different, and that’s my case.”
However, Sinner dropped a hint that he may not have been able to trust his former team members, as he explained what he’d want in a new fitness coach and physio.
He added: “I will also look for people who are suitable for the other people on the team, communication is important for the group to function, you have to trust. We spend a lot of time together all year round, it’s important to find the right people.”
The 23-year-old has since rehired Ferrara, his former fitness trainer, who left his team after an investigation into Sinner’s two failed doping tests last year. The world No. 1 proved that he was contaminated by his then-physio, Giacomo Naldi.
Naldi cut his finger and treated it with a spray which contained traces of the banned substance clostebol. Ferrara was the one who bought the spray and gave it to Naldi. The physio then massaged Sinner without wearing gloves.
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