Fear of ingesting a contaminated substance led Britain's Emma Raducanu to turn down treatment for an insect bite ahead of the Australian Open, as she prepares for her opening round match against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Speaking at her pre-tournament media conference, the former U.S. Open champion expressed that recent high-profile doping cases have understandably made players cautious. "I got really badly bitten by I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess," Raducanu stated. "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. I was just left there with my swollen ankle and hand."

Raducanu made a determination to "tough it out" due to the heightened concern amongst athletes regarding potential contamination. "It’s obviously a concern on our mind," she noted, reflecting the shared anxiety among players in light of ongoing issues in the sport.

The tennis world faced serious scandal last year when men's world number one Jannik Sinner tested positive for clostebol, but avoided a suspension after a tribunal ruled he bore no fault after claiming contamination from his physiotherapist. Similarly, five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek faced a positive test for trimetazidine, which was found to be caused by contaminated melatonin medication.

These incidents continue to resonate within the sport, influencing Raducanu's cautious approach. "We’re all in the same boat. I think it’s just how we manage as best as we can the controllables," she explained, underscoring the commonality of concern among her fellow competitors.

As the Australian Open approaches, Raducanu's experience serves as a reminder of the impact of doping regulations on athletes' lives and decisions, proving that the need for vigilance remains paramount.

For further insights and updates, readers can visit the original articles at The Guardian and Reuters.