Unusual injury for British tennis star Emma Raducanu—blame the ants

Emma Raducanu has revealed a rather unusual health issue she faced while preparing for the Australian Open, according to Daily Mail. The British tennis player admitted to being attacked by local ants.

• Read also: Novak Djokovic claims he was poisoned in Melbourne before the 2022 Australian Open

The insect bites caused significant discomfort, but Raducanu chose not to use a spray to relieve the irritation. Aware of recent doping scandals in tennis, she decided to play it safe and avoid any risk of inadvertently ingesting a banned substance.

“I got bitten really badly by these jumping ants. I had an allergic reaction, my hand and foot swelled up and I had to come on site to see the doctor and get some remedies. But I'm fine now,” Raducanu shared.

Now recovered, she is fully ready to compete in the Australian Open. Her first-round match will be against Ekaterina Alexandrova, the tournament’s 26th seed.

Currently ranked 56th in the WTA standings, Raducanu’s career-high ranking was 10th, which she achieved in July 2022.