Emma Raducanu has expressed her gratitude for the support she received following a “difficult experience” during her second-round match at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she was targeted by a man displaying “fixated behavior.”
The 22-year-old British tennis star appeared visibly emotional during her match against Karolina Muchova, at one point seeking refuge behind the umpire’s chair early in the second set.
The incident occurred after the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) revealed that Raducanu had been approached by the same individual on Monday, and he was later spotted in the front rows during her match on Tuesday.
Raducanu promptly alerted the chair umpire, and the man was removed from the court.
Muchova, the 14th seed, offered comfort to Raducanu during the disruption.
On Wednesday, Raducanu took to Instagram to address the situation, writing: “Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday, but I’ll be okay. I’m 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 to her for the rest of the tournament.”
Despite the unsettling incident, Raducanu returned to the court to applause from the crowd and continued playing, though she ultimately lost 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. The man was ejected from the stadium and has since been banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment. Raducanu has reportedly left Dubai following the match.
This is not the first time Raducanu has faced such a situation. In 2022, a man who walked 23 miles to her London home was issued a five-year restraining order.
The WTA emphasized its commitment to player safety, stating: “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 well-being 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.”
The Dubai Tennis Championships organizers echoed the WTA’s stance, confirming that their security team worked closely with the WTA to identify and remove the individual.
They expressed support for the WTA’s decision to ban the man from future events and reiterated their dedication to player welfare and safety.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the British governing body for tennis, also commented on the incident, stating:
“This incident once again highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face.
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’s resilience in the face of adversity has drawn widespread admiration, and the tennis community continues to rally around her as she moves forward from this challenging experience.
