British tennis star Emma Raducanu says she turned down treatment for insect bites ahead of this year’s Australian Open over concerns about what she could be putting in her body.

Raducanu, who faces No. 26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the opening round, said in her pre-tournament news conference that she got “badly bitten” by ants or mosquitoes Thursday January 9. Despite suffering what she described as an allergic reaction, Raducanu did not administer an antiseptic spray provided to her by someone in attendance.

Emma Raducanu, bitten by ants or mosquitoes, opted not to use antiseptic spray to avoid any potential doping risks. Preparing for the Australian Open, the Brit revealed in a press conference that she was "badly bitten" and suffered from swollen hand and ankle.

British tennis star Emma Raducanu's preparations for the Australian Open were disrupted when she was bitten during time off from practice in Melbourne - just days out from the tournament

Fear of ingesting a contaminated substance led Britain's Emma Raducanu to turn down treatment for an insect bite ahead of the Australian Open which starts this weekend. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Boris Becker has insisted that British tennis star Emma Raducanu has lost her ‘fear factor’ heading into the 2025 Australian Open. Raducanu, who was forced to pull out of this year’s ASB Classic due to a ‘back niggle’, stunned the tennis world in 2021 when she clinched the US Open singles title as a teenage qualifier in a remarkable achievement.

Emma Raducanu has revealed she refused to use antiseptic spray on insect bites at the Australian Open, fearing it could lead to a failed drug test. The British No 2's cautious approach comes after recent positive tests by other players,