Emma Raducanu has spoken candidly about the growing unease among tennis players in the wake of high-profile drug test failures that have rocked the sport. The 2021 US Open champion reflected on how the recent doping controversies surrounding Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek have caused a stir in locker rooms worldwide, especially as the 2024 season unfolds.
Sinner, the world No. 1 men’s player, found himself at the center of a scandal after testing positive for a banned substance not once, but twice, in March. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared him of any wrongdoing or negligence. They accepted his explanation that clostebol, a substance known to aid muscle growth, had inadvertently entered his system through a product used by one of his team members to treat a minor wound.
Despite the ITIA’s decision, the matter is far from settled. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the ruling, arguing that Sinner should face a suspension ranging from one to two years. The expectation in many corners of the tennis world is that Sinner’s legal battle will drag into 2025, potentially resulting in a suspension.
On the other hand, Świątek’s situation seems to have reached a resolution. The world No. 2 women’s player tested positive for the angina medication trimetazidine during an out-of-competition test in August. However, the ITIA determined that the substance had entered her system due to contamination from the melatonin supplement she had been using to combat jet lag. As a result, Świątek was deemed to be at the lowest fault level, categorized as “No Significant Fault or Negligence.”
Raducanu, reflecting on these doping scandals, shared her own concerns, acknowledging a growing sense of caution among top players. “I think in general, not just me but a lot of the players I know, we’re quite apprehensive,” she admitted. She elaborated on the precautions she takes, highlighting how every aspect of what she consumes is carefully considered. “Everything we take, we are very aware of the situation and how easily things can be contaminated. And there are certain supplements that I may want to take but I can’t take them because they’re over-the-counter and they’re not batch-tested.”
She explained that testing supplements for prohibited substances can be prohibitively expensive—up to £1,000 for a single item. “For the things that you really, really need to take, then it’s obviously worth that, but you just have to cut out a lot of things that you wouldn’t necessarily take,” she said. Raducanu also emphasized her vigilance around everyday items, from food to water. “I’m very careful with what I drink, what I eat. If I leave my water around, I’m very on edge about it,” she added. “But it’s just part of the sport. We’re all in the same boat.”
In a related development, WADA’s director Oliver Niggli added another layer to the conversation during an interview with L’Equipe, discussing how advances in testing technology are contributing to a rise in contamination cases. Niggli suggested that the detection methods now available can identify trace amounts of banned substances in players’ systems, leading to what he described as “trivial contamination.” “Today there is a problem of contamination,” Niggli stated. “There are no more (doping cheats) than before, but laboratories are more efficient in detecting infinitesimal quantities of doping substances. We will have to open a working table to understand how to manage this situation.”
Niggli’s comments point to a growing challenge in the fight against doping in tennis, where even the slightest traces of banned substances can result in significant repercussions for players, whether intentional or accidental. The pressure on athletes to navigate this delicate terrain will only continue to intensify as technology advances and the stakes remain high.