Emma Raducanu Describes Extreme Anti-Doping Practices After Severe Allergic Reaction
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Recent high-profile doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek led to Emma Raducanu being asked about whether she has concerns about how easy it is to test positive. The Briton responded by demonstrating how careful she is.
Sinner and Swiatek, current or former world No. 1's in the ATP or WTA rankings, both tested positive for banned substances in 2024, which shocked tennis fans and led to concerns about damage to the sport's image.
Nick Kyrgios has been particularly vocal about what he feels the cases have done to tennis. The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up thinks they have been disgusting for the sport. He continues to be particularly critical of Sinner.
By contrast, ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi thinks tennis could survive a lengthy ban being given to Sinner. His case is still ongoing after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) decision to clear him of wrongdoing.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently announced the date for Sinner's hearing. Even if CAS finds the two-time Grand Slam champion entirely innocent, the hearing will disrupt the Italian's season.
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban from the ITIA after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine. The Pole was provisionally suspended on September 12th, but had it overturned on October 4th after further testing proved melatonin tablets she bought were contaminated.
WADA could still appeal Swiatek's case like it did Sinner's. However, reports indicate it is unlikely to do so. An appeal would feel harsh since the 23-year-old purchased a legal product from a legal company and had no idea the tablets were contaminated.
Swiatek's case proves how easy it is for players to test positive for a banned substance. This has been especially true in recent years, as enhanced technology makes detecting negligible amounts of a substance easier.
Raducanu, who has worked hard during the off-season alongside new fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura to become one of the best athletes in the world, gave an example during a press conference to demonstrate how worried she is about testing positive.
"I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take onboard, what we use. I mean, yesterday, for example, I got really badly bitten by I don't know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I'm allergic, I guess."
"They flared up and swelled up really a lot. Someone was, like, 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. I was just like 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."
The 2021 US Open champion said all the players were in the same boat regarding being concerned about accidentally testing positive and that all they can do is try to manage what they can control.
"It's obviously a concern on our mind. We're all in the same boat. I think it's just how we manage as best as we can the controllable. If something out of our control happens, then it's going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove."
