Naomi Osaka revealed the brutal reality of being frequently tested for doping and the unpleasant early visits.
Most fans see tennis players on the court or enjoying a well-deserved vacation away from the courts. However, most don't realize how incredibly challenging the life of an athlete can be.
Tennis players, like all athletes, have to be regularly tested for doping. There are two kinds of tests. One is in-competition, and the other is out-of-competition, which is why tennis players have to submit their location every day, 24/7.
That in itself is incredibly challenging, and there have been players suspended from competing because of failing to change their reported location following a change in plans. Even if that doesn't happen and players are where they are supposed to be, it doesn't mean that their lives are any easier.
The people in charge of the doping tests can come literally at any time, and many players have previously spoken about how challenging that can be. Many often don't use the bathroom in the morning, waiting for the possible arrival of the people in charge of doping tests.
Naomi Osaka spoke about her experience, as she has a unique issue compared to some other players. She, like everyone else, is frequently tested for doping as well, and she has already had a few visits at 5 A.M.
That in itself isn't the only issue. Osaka, according to her words, struggles when she has to have her blood taken. Ahead of Roland Garros, the Japanese player revealed that her veins are always hard to find.
"I don’t have a great relationship with them just because they always come and take blood and urine. My veins are very notoriously hard to find. One person once told me it's a Japanese thing, I don't know if that's accurate."
"They come in at 5 A.M. and stick me multiple times. And usually, they can't find my veins, so they have three attempts to find it. Sometimes they can't find it. So I'm like, 'Sorry, let me try this arm.' And I tell them my playing arm is my right arm, I prefer the left."
Osaka revealed that last year at Roland Garros, she even had huge bruises on her arms because of the lady who wanted to take her blood and couldn't find her veins.
"And today was kind of scary, because last year I was here, they also came at 5 A.M., and the lady couldn't find my veins at all, and I had like huge bruises on my arms for a while. Thankfully, it wasn't the same lady, but today was a success, because, luckily, I had to use the bathroom when they woke me up."
With a doping test behind her, Osaka will now focus on her tournament. She will start against Paula Badosa in the first round of the clay-court Grand Slam.
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