Tennis News Today: Emma Raducanu reveals her 'apprehension' in response to Iga Swiatek's doping row; Carlos Alcaraz jokes about 'hating' Frances Tiafoe, and more

Emma Raducanu revealed that she and many other players are apprehensive about the possibility of taking contaminated substances unknowingly in light of Iga Swiatek's doping controversy.

On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz made a lighthearted comment about 'hating' Frances Tiafoe during the recently concluded Charlotte Invitational while Andy Roddick and his wife Brooklyn Decker attended at the Charlotte Invitational exhibition with their children, son Hank and daughter Stevie.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams sent her love to American gymnastics star Simone Biles after she posted photos from their catch-up session.

Here is a roundup of the latest top tennis news:

“We’re quite apprehensive, how easily things can be contaminated" - Emma Raducanu addresses Iga Swiatek's doping controversy

Emma Raducanu speaking to the press [Source: Getty]

Iga Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample taken in August 2024. As a result, she was provisionally suspended in September. However, after an appeal, it was determined that she had 'no significant fault or negligence,' but she still received a one-month suspension.

In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Emma Raducanu addressed Iga Swiatek's doping scandal. She expressed 'apprehension' that she and many players have about the risks of taking supplements that could potentially be contaminated.

The former US Open champion explained that there are specific supplements she would like to use, but refrains from doing so because they are available over the counter and not batch-tested.

"Not just me, but a lot of the players I know, we’re quite apprehensive. 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," Raducanu said.

Raducanu also revealed that she is cautious about what she consumes, acknowledging that it is an essential aspect of being an athlete .

"I’m very careful with what I drink, what I eat. If I leave my water around, I’m very on edge about it. But it’s just part of the sport . We’re all in the same boat," she added .

"It was a mixture of incomprehension & panic" - Iga Swiatek on her 'reaction' after she found out about failed doping test

Iga Swiatek speaking to the press [Source: Getty]

During a recent appearance on the Polish TV show Fakty po Faktach on TVN24, Iga Swiatek shared the intense emotional "reaction" she had after learning that she had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. She described her reaction as "violent," filled with "tears," "incomprehension, and panic."

After seeing such an reaction from her, Iga Swiatek said that her managers thought that someone has died.

"My reaction was very violent. It was a mixture of incomprehension and panic. There was a lot of crying . My managers said that my reaction was as if someone had died or something serious had happened to their health. I am glad that I was not alone, because I could give them my phone and show them what happened," Iga Swiatek said (Translated from Polish).

Iga Swiatek recalled how she received the news of her positive test in an email, but was unable to finish reading it as she was already in tears.

"It was an email. I opened the message and thought it was a notification that players automatically receive when they need to do something. But this time it turned out that the email was much more serious. Generally, I was not able to read it to the end, because I was already in tears," Iga Swiatek added.

“We have a really good relationship off the court" - Carlos Alcaraz on his friendship with Frances Tiafoe ahead of Charlotte Invitational

Carlos Alcaraz & Frances Tiafoe at Wimbledon 2024 [Source: Getty]

Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Sloan Stephens, and Madison Keys took part in the Charlotte Invitational, which was held on December 6, 2024, at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.

While speaking to the press prior to their match, Alcaraz humorously remarked that he and Tiafoe "hate" each other, before clarifying that they actually have a great relationship off-court.

The former World No.1 said that he and Tiafoe have a huge respect for each other, which he said is great for tennis and for the competition

"We hate each other. I think we have a really good relationship off the court . When we play each other on court, we have huge respect to each other. I think that's great for tennis and for the competition," Alcaraz said

Frances Tiafoe echoed Carlos Alcaraz's sentiments and expressed that the Spaniard is a top player.

"I agree. We have had some great battles, obviously. We get along really well. He copies all the restaurants I go so I run into him in a restaurant once a tournament for sure. That's always pretty funny . It's great . He is a hell of a player and will continue to be for a very long time," Tiafoe said

Andy Roddick and his wife Brooklyn Decker's son Hank & daughter Stevie attend at Charlotte Invitational

Andy Roddick with Brooklyn Decker [Source: Getty]

Andy Roddick and his wife, Brooklyn Decker started dating in 2007 and got engaged just a year later in 2008. They got married in April 2009 in Texas and are parents of two children. Their son, Hank, was born in 2015, and their daughter, Stevie was born two years later, in 2017.

Recently, the couple attended the Charlotte Invitational and brought their children, Hank and Stevie along to watch the exhibition matches. It was a rare public appearance for the former US Open champion and the model's children, as the couple is protective of their privacy

During the match, Hank and Stevie were featured on the stadium's big screen which in turn prompted the children to excitedly wave at it.

On the other hand, Andy Roddick spent some time with Carlos Alcaraz before the Spaniard's exhibition match, hitting some golf balls in a golf simulator room.

Serena Williams sent her love to Simone Biles after the gymnastics star shard glimpses from their catch-up session

Serena Williams at the Paris Fashion Week [Source: Getty]

Serena Williams and Simone Biles were the guest speakers at an event organized by Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief Radhika Jones, Female Quotient, and Audemars Piguet, Le Brassus.

Following the event, Biles took to social media to share couple of pictures from the occasion. One photo captured her in a what looked like an animated conversation with Williams, while another featured herself, the former World No.1, and Jones. She captioned the image, writing :

“goated conversations 🐐 ."

Serena Williams then reposted Biles' post on her own social media along with two red heart emojis.