Raducanu started crying after going 2-0 down in her match against Karolina Muchova yesterday and spoke to the umpire about something. The chair official could be seen on the phone, and it was later confirmed that a spectator was removed from the crowd.
In a statement, the WTA said: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.
“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.”
The “fixated behaviour” in question reportedly refers to an incident that took place in Raducanu’s hotel. The man is said to have approached the world No. 61 in her hotel, handing her a letter.
Raducanu was so distressed by the encounter, she reportedly reported this to on-site security and WTA staff.
The 22-year-old spotted the same individual in the stands for her second-round match on Tuesday night and became visibly anxious.
The man is not believed to be a British national. This means the Dubai incident likely has no connection to a previous encounter Raducanu had with a stalker.
In 2022, a stalker who walked more than 23 miles to Raducanu’s south-east London home was handed a five-year restraining order. The former delivery driver, 35, turned up to her house three times. He was arrested after being spotted by Raducanu’s father.
Raducanu continued the match against Muchova on Tuesday but lost 7-6(6) 6-4. Express Sport understands Raducanu is doing ok following the incident.
Organisers of the Dubai Tennis Championships have since voiced their support for the WTA’s statement on the incident during the match, and supported their ban on the spectator in question.
The LTA, the governing body for British tennis, also confirmed they had been in contact with Raducanu and her team.
“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,” a spokesperson said.
“We have extensive security arrangements at our events in Britain and keep these under constant review.
“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.”
