Emma Raducanu refuses to treat insect bites at Australian Open over doping test fears
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Emma Raducanu has revealed she refused to use an antiseptic spray to treat insect bites for fear of failing a drug test before the Australian Open. The 22-year-old British tennis star said her hand and ankle swelled up but she refused the treatment in case contamination led to a positive doping test.
Raducanu told reporters at a pre-tournament news conference on Friday: "All of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use. "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.". She added: "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. "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 controllables. If something out of our control happens, then it's going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove.".
'I'm a dangerous opponent for anyone'. Raducanu pulled out of her scheduled warm-up tournament in Auckland last week with what she described as a back niggle, but has been training at Melbourne Park this week. She said the source of the problem was a spasm suffered while training in London.
