Sinner misses out on a substantial ATP prize check due to suspension, responds for the first time about the fired coach.

Even with outstanding results this season, world number one Sinner still misses out on the substantial bonuses from the ATP year-end prize pool. To enhance the attractiveness of professional tennis for players, the ATP Tour has introduced several measures in recent years, including the OneVision reform plan initiated in 2023.

One of the key components of this strategic shift is to provide rewards to the top-performing players in major tournaments during the season. This year, up to $21 million will be distributed among the top 30 players with the highest points in the annual Masters Series and ATP Finals (only players who qualify for the Finals will have their points counted). This amount is nearly double that of 2023.

However, even after achieving notable results in this year's Masters events, Sinner still cannot enjoy the fruits of his labor. According to the rules, players who miss four or more mandatory Masters events during the season lose 100% of their year-end bonus eligibility, and this Italian player has missed exactly four this year.

This all traces back to Sinner's positive drug test over a year ago, where he was found to have the banned substance clostebol in his system, resulting in a three-month suspension starting in February 2025. During this period, he missed the Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid Masters events. After winning Wimbledon, he also missed the Canadian Open. Although the Monte Carlo Masters is not mandatory, Sinner still accumulated four missed Masters events, thus losing his eligibility for bonuses.

It is worth mentioning that Sinner confirmed last month that he has reunited with coach Ferrara—who was dismissed less than a year ago due to two failed drug tests. Now, the two have come back together on the tour, and Sinner had previously been reluctant to discuss the incident publicly until now. At the Cincinnati Masters, the 23-year-old player defended his latest decision.

“That was a different situation. Everything is different now. I feel that at this stage, I need someone who understands my body better,” Sinner said in response to a question from reporter Ben Rosenberg. When Rosenberg further pressed him on what he meant by “someone who understands your body better,” Sinner explained: “Before this separation, we had worked together for about two years. His work has brought me a lot of benefits.”

“We trained in all aspects of physical fitness: flexibility, stability, and even endurance have improved. I think he did very well. I get along well with Marco (Panichi) too, but maybe he wasn’t the best fit. I’ve always had a good feeling about Umberto.”

Currently, Sinner has reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters and is aiming to reach the final for the second consecutive year. After receiving a bye in the first round, he dominated his opening match with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Daniel Elahi Galan. He then defeated 30th seed Diallo and qualifier Mannarino, and in the quarterfinals, he swept Felix Auger-Aliassime with a score of 6-0, 6-2.

Sinner is striving to become the first player since Federer to win the Cincinnati Masters title in consecutive years, with Federer having won the event in 2014 and 2015. This week, Sinner has become the fifth player of this century to achieve 25 consecutive wins on hard courts, joining the ranks of Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Nadal.

In the semifinals, he will face French qualifier Atmane, who has had a stunning performance in the tournament. This French qualifier has already defeated Koboli, Fonseca, Fritz, and Rune, becoming the eighth-lowest-ranked player to reach the semifinals since the introduction of the Masters event format in 1990.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)