Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr Part Ways with Coach Castro 

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr Part Ways with Coach Castro 

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi club Al-Nassr announced the departure of Portuguese coach Luis Castro on Tuesday, a day after starting their AFC Champions League Elite campaign with a disappointing draw.

Monday's 1-1 stalemate with Iraq's Al-Shorta in the Asian competition compounded a slow start to the domestic season with the current contract of Ronaldo, 39, due to expire next summer.

"Al-Nassr can announce that head coach Luis Castro has left the club," said a statement posted on X.

"Everyone at Al-Nassr would like to thank Luis and his staff for their dedicated work during the past 14 months, wishing them the best of luck for the future."

Castro, 63, is the third coach to depart Al-Nassr since Ronaldo's groundbreaking arrival in early 2023.

Frenchman Rudi Garcia quickly left that April, followed by a brief stint by Croatian coach Dinko Jelicic before Castro was appointed in July last year.

Al-Nassr, who finished a distant second in the last Saudi Pro League season, have drawn twice in three matches at the start of the new campaign.



Sinner Adds Former Djokovic Trainer, Physio to Coaching Team 

Italy's Jannick Sinner waves to the crowd during a men's singles tennis Davis Cup tennis match between Italy's Matteo Berrettini and Botic Van Zandschulp of the Netherlands, at the Unipol arena, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Jannick Sinner waves to the crowd during a men's singles tennis Davis Cup tennis match between Italy's Matteo Berrettini and Botic Van Zandschulp of the Netherlands, at the Unipol arena, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)
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Sinner Adds Former Djokovic Trainer, Physio to Coaching Team 

Italy's Jannick Sinner waves to the crowd during a men's singles tennis Davis Cup tennis match between Italy's Matteo Berrettini and Botic Van Zandschulp of the Netherlands, at the Unipol arena, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Jannick Sinner waves to the crowd during a men's singles tennis Davis Cup tennis match between Italy's Matteo Berrettini and Botic Van Zandschulp of the Netherlands, at the Unipol arena, in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

World number one Jannik Sinner has added fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio to his staff following the dismissal of two members after he escaped a doping ban despite failing two drug tests in March.

The Italian confirmed the appointment in a social media post on Monday, with Panichi and Badio bringing vast experience after having worked with 24-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Sinner had tested positive for the steroid clostebol, which can be used to build muscle mass, after his physio Giacomo Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to a cut on his own hand before carrying out treatments on him.

The spray was given to Naldi by trainer Umberto Ferrara.

Sinner fired both team members last month, before winning the US Open title to make it two Grand Slam trophies in 2024 following his breakthrough Australian Open triumph.

The 23-year-old was cleared of fault or negligence last month by an independent tribunal which accepted the explanation that he had inadvertently been contaminated with the drug by Naldi, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency had said it would review the decision and reserved the right to appeal.

Panichi and Badio had their first session with Sinner on Monday at his training base in Monte Carlo and will travel with him to tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai.