Madison Brengle says the arm injury that caused her to retire from her first-round match at the U.S. Open was a reaction to a drug test she took leading up to the tournament.
Brengle told The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware that she has a vein condition, which caused her arm to swell following a random blood test on Saturday.
She retired down a set and a break to 16-year-old wild card Kayla Day. Following the match, the right-hander said hitting her forehand had been like "getting hit by lightning," and she could not keep playing despite two medical breaks for her right arm.
"Every time I get one of these tests the same thing happens, and I tried my best to get ready," she said. "The only way it gets better is with rest and time. I’ve had work with the physios and I’ve [been] sleeping with the compression sleeve, but it just takes time to heal."
The 26-year-old said she had a similar experience with a blood test following Wimbledon.