Who is Ricardo Ceccarelli? Michael Schumacher's doctor helps Jannik Sinner's mentality improve
Who is Ricardo Ceccarelli? Here’s everything you need to know about Jannik Sinner’s new doctor Ricardo Ceccarelli
Jannik Sinner is on an incredible streak at the ATP Finals, securing victories in all three of his round-robin matches. This achievement marks a significant milestone for his country, being the first player to advance to the tournament’s semi-final stage. His recent win against Holger Rune was a thrilling three-set roller-coaster on Thursday. Earlier, he triumphed over both the reigning champion, Novak Djokovic, and Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier in the week.
During Sinner’s recent match, Riccardo Ceccarelli, who has been involved in the F1 world since 1989, was among those in his box. He founded Formula Medicine, a comprehensive group comprising doctors, psychologists, trainers, and physical therapists. Their clientele, spanning from the past to the present, boasts names like Ayrton Senna, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc. Ceccarelli proudly mentions having collaborated with over 80 F1 drivers throughout his career.
Ceccarelli has been an integral part of Sinner’s team since 2020. In September 2021, a collaboration emerged between Formula Medicine and the Piatti Tennis Center, resulting in the establishment of a ‘Mental Economy gym.’ This facility was dedicated to the mental preparation of athletes, including Sinner, under their agreement.
Despite parting ways with his former coach Riccardo Piatti, Sinner retained Ceccarelli as part of his team. They typically meet during the off-season in Monte Carlo or on extended breaks. While Ceccarelli occasionally attends Sinner’s tournaments, he believes it’s unnecessary to be present at every match. He holds the opinion that relying on ‘psychological support’ for every match signifies a form of ‘weakness.’
Ceccarelli and his team claim that within two months of implementing their program, the 22-year-old broke into the world’s top 10.” Our training focuses on creating scenarios where he can recognize and associate sensations like anger, discouragement, fatigue, calmness, and effectiveness with specific moments in his matches,” Ceccarelli elaborated in a recent interview. “We utilize a joystick to engage him in our computerized tests, which we specifically designed to monitor his performance. These tests are associated with analyzing his brain’s activity (monitored through a frontal band) and his heartbeat.”
The primary aim of this approach is to enhance an athlete’s ‘self-awareness.’ By gaining a deeper comprehension of how their brain functions under specific conditions, the belief is that they can significantly improve their effectiveness in their sport. Alice Ferrisi, a psychologist involved in working with Sinner, aided in constructing the Formula Medicine tests.
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