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SportsPosted at: May 24 2025 8:35PM


Osaka calls 5am doping test in Paris a 'scary wakeup call'

Paris, May 24 (UNI) Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has opened up about a “scary” early morning experience in Paris, where she was subjected to a surprise anti-doping test ahead of the French Open.
Addressing the media, the four-time Grand Slam champion recounted being woken up at 5am for the routine drug test, a process she described as physically uncomfortable and emotionally unsettling.
“I honestly don’t know the rules about talking about anti-doping. Am I allowed to say whatever I want?” Osaka asked reporters, before sharing her discomfort. “They’re kind of scary. For me, anti-doping is like— I don’t have a great relationship with them, just because they always come and take blood and urine... and my veins are notoriously hard to find.”
Osaka explained that testers often struggle to locate her veins, resulting in multiple needle attempts. “They have three attempts to find it. Sometimes they can’t. They’re like, ‘Oops, sorry, let me try this arm, let me try this arm.’ I always have to tell them, ‘Hey, my playing arm is my right arm, I prefer the left.’”
The 26-year-old revealed that last year during the same tournament, she suffered visible bruises from the procedure. “Today was kind of scary, because the last year I was here they also came at 5:00am, and the lady couldn’t find my veins at all. I had huge bruises on my arms for a while. Thankfully it wasn’t the same lady today.”
Despite her unease, the test this time went smoothly. “Today was a success because luckily I had to use the bathroom when they woke me up,” she added with a wry smile.
Osaka’s candid remarks have once again highlighted the physical and psychological toll elite athletes endure beyond the court.
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