Emma Raducanu has described the harassment she endured at the Dubai Tennis Championships as a ‘difficult experience’ after a man was ejected from her match for showing ‘fixated behaviour’.
The 22-year-old was in clear distress as she halted her match against Karolina Muchova on Tuesday evening in order to speak with the umpire.
A tearful Raducanu, who won the US Open in 2021, was comforted by her opponent as she hid behind the umpire’s chair, while a man who was seated near the front row was removed from the crowd by security staff.
The WTA later revealed that Raducanu had been approached the previous day ‘by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour’.
According to The Telegraph, Raducanu was approached at her hotel on Monday by the same man who handed her a letter. It’s understood that the man is not a British national.
In a message to her followers on Instagram, Raducanu wrote: ‘Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.
‘Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck for the rest of the tournament.’
The WTA said in a statement: ‘On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.
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‘This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
‘Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her wellbeing and provide any necessary support. We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.’
An LTA spokesperson said: ‘This incident once again highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face.
‘We have support available for British players and have been in contact with Emma and her team following the events in Dubai. We have extensive security arrangements at our events in Britain and keep these under constant review.
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‘The tours have strong processes in place already and we will continue to work together along with police and security providers to deal with situations like this robustly.’
Raducanu has previously been targeted during her career as in 2022, Amrit Magar was convicted of stalking and given a five-year restraining order after walking 23 miles to her home.
A court heard how Raducanu was ‘constantly looking over her shoulder’ and no longer felt ‘safe in her own home’.
Magar, who left unwanted gifts and cards for Raducanu, also stole her father’s shoe as a souvenir.
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