Nick Kyrgios issues 1-word reaction to Emma Raducanu avoiding bug spray to prevent accidental doping

Nick Kyrgios has been a central voice in all the doping-related chatter surrounding the tennis world and he’s in the thick of things yet again. He gave a one-word response to Emma Raducanu's statement that she avoided using bug spray to prevent accidental doping.

Speaking at a press conference, ahead of the Australian Open 2025, Raducanu detailed how important it is for professional athletes to manage the “controllables” in such situations.

“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, ants or mosquitos or something and I’m allergic I guess. So they flared up and swelled up a lot. Someone was giving me this anti-septic spray, you know natural to try and ease the bites but I was just…I didn’t want to take it you know? I didn’t want to spray it, so I was just left there with my swollen ankle and hand. I’m just going to tough it out because I don’t want to risk it,” Raducanu said.

In the video that was posted on the Tennis Channel on Instagram, Kyrgios supported Raducanu's statement with a one-word reaction that read:

“Yup”

Emma Raducanu taking no risks related to doping matters ahead of Australian Open 2025

Emma Raducanu’s comments come at a time when two of the world’s best tennis players, Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner, were embroiled in doping controversies. While Swiatek was handed a one-month back in 2024, Sinner was not reprimanded.

However, WADA has now appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports seeking stricter action to be taken against the reigning Australian Open champion, either a one or two-year ban.

Commenting on the current scenario, Emma Raducanu said:

"It’s obviously a concern on our mind but we’re all in the same boat and I think it’s just how we manage as best as we can, the controllables and if something out of our control happens then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove."

Emma Raducanu, the US Open champion in 2021, faces Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the opening round of the Australian Open 2025 on January 13.

Raducanu has not reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and will hope to make a deep run in 2025, especially after improving her fitness regimen and bringing strength and conditioning coach Yutaka Nakamura onto her team.