It all started when Morgan, known for her charisma on social networks and her influence in the world of tennis, published a video on her Instagram account with a phrase that set off alarms:
“I can’t stay silent anymore. People deserve to know what’s behind those bracelets.”
In a matter of minutes, the clip went viral, generating endless theories. Some thought it was a joke or a publicity strategy, but the next day, Taylor Fritz added fuel to the fire by declaring to the press:
“There could be doping in those bracelets…”
The phrase echoed in all corners of the sport. Journalists crowded at the doors of the hotel where the American team was staying, while the name of Carlos Alcaraz began to trend worldwide on X (formerly Twitter) under the hashtag#BraceletGate.
Immediately,the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)he intervened. According to sources close to the agency, the investigation was initiated “as a precaution” after receiving multiple anonymous complaints about the use of possible unauthorized muscle stimulation devices.
Morgan Riddle, however, went further. In an exclusive interview granted toThe Tennis Post, claimed that he had seen the bracelets up close during a promotional event months ago.“They were not simple sports accessories. They had a kind of internal light and a constant vibration. It seemed like something technological, not physiological,”he said firmly.
The networks were divided. Alcaraz’s supporters came to his defense, accusing Morgan of making up stories to distract the public after Fritz’s loss in the ATP Finals. Instead, the most skeptical began to speculate about the possibility that the bracelets were a new form of “technological doping”, a trend that WADA had already warned of as a future threat to clean sport.
Alcaraz himself broke the silence at an improvised press conference in Madrid. With a serious face, he declared:
“I don’t need gadgets or rumors to win. If you want to analyze my bracelets, go ahead. I have nothing to hide.”
Hours later, WADA agents appeared at the Murcian training center to collect the objects and subject them to exhaustive analysis. The Spanish press reacted with indignation, calling the situation a “modern witch hunt,” while in the United States, several sports commentators defended the right of Fritz and his girlfriend to “ask uncomfortable questions in the name of transparency.”
Over the next few days, the case became a global media phenomenon. Television shows, podcasts and sports forums relentlessly debated the boundaries between innovation and doping. Even some biotechnology experts chimed in to explain that certain compression devices could incorporate electrical micropulses to improve oxygenation, something that, while not illegal, could provide significant advantages.
When the first results of the investigation were finally leaked, the entire country held its breath: the bracelets did not contain doping substances, but they did includenerve stimulation microcircuits, an experimental technology developed by a Japanese company associated with sports performance. Although they did not violate any current regulations, WADA considered it necessary to open a debate on their future legality.
Morgan Riddle, far from retracting, published a message on his networks:
“It’s not about winning or losing, but about keeping the sport clean. If with this we achieve more transparency, it was worth it.”
Alcaraz responded with elegance and a hint of irony:
“Tennis is not played with bracelets, but with heart. Some should remember that.”
The scandal left a deep mark. For the first time, the tennis world faced the dilemma oftechnological doping, a terrain where science and ethics collide head-on. Fritz and Morgan emerged from the episode with a mix of admiration and controversy, while Alcaraz, after proving his innocence, emerged stronger than ever, becoming a symbol of resilience.
And so, between truths, rumors and mixed emotions, the so-called“BraceletGate”It went down in history as one of the most intense, controversial and fascinating chapters of modern tennis—where even a simple accessory can change the destiny of a legend.
