Melbourne: Emma Raducanu, the former U.S. Open champion from Britain, revealed that fears of ingesting a contaminated substance led her to refuse treatment for an insect bite ahead of the Australian Open, which kicks off this weekend.
Speaking at her pre-tournament press conference before her first-round match against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, Raducanu explained her cautious approach.
“I got really badly bitten by I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she said. “They flared up and swelled up really a lot. Someone was giving me this antiseptic spray, natural, to try to ease the bites. I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t want to spray it.”
Raducanu chose to endure the discomfort rather than risk potential contamination. “I was just left there with my swollen ankle and hand. I was like: ‘I’m just going to tough it out because I don’t want to risk it. It’s obviously a concern on our mind.’”
The decision comes amid heightened awareness of doping risks in the sport, especially following high-profile cases. Last year, men’s world number one Jannik Sinner tested positive for the banned substance clostebol but avoided a ban after an independent tribunal determined there was no fault or negligence. Sinner had explained that the substance was inadvertently transferred during a physiotherapy massage. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision.
Also Read | Houston Texans Contribute $1M to Aid California Wildfire Relief Efforts
Similarly, women’s five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek faced a doping controversy after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance. The tribunal ruled that it had been a result of contamination in a batch of melatonin sleeping pills, allowing her to avoid a lengthy suspension.
Also Read | World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to Appear at CAS Hearing on April 16
With these incidents still fresh, Raducanu emphasized the need for players to be cautious. “We’re all in the same boat. I think it’s just how we manage as best as we can the controllables,” she said. “If something out of our control happens, then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove.”
