Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu was diminished to tears after she noticed a person who confirmed “fixated behavior” towards her throughout Tuesday’s match in Dubai
The 22-year-old appeared visibly rattled at first of her second-round match in opposition to Karolina Muchova on the Dubai Tennis Championships, prompting her to abruptly cease play within the first set.
Raducanu had tears streaming down her face as she tried to compose herself. She then walked towards the official earlier than hiding behind the umpire’s chair.
Raducanu mentioned she had noticed a person sitting within the “first few rows,” with whom she had a weird encounter on Monday. She added that his presence prompted her to concern for her security, the Ladies’s Tennis Affiliation (WTA) mentioned in a press release.
The WTA added that the crazed fan had approached Raducanu in a “public area” on Monday and “exhibited fixated behavior” towards her.
Shortly after the umpire signaled for organizers and safety to take away the spectator, Raducanu was consoled by her opponent behind the choose’s chair.
Officers then had the person faraway from the premises.
The previous world quantity 10, for her half, was seen wiping tears from her face with a towel earlier than telling the umpire that she was able to resume the match.
The match concluded at midnight in Dubai after two hours and 7 minutes of play. Raducanu rallied from 4-0 right down to power a tiebreaker however finally misplaced 7-6 (6), 6-4.
The tennis group mentioned the person “will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
It added that it’s “actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.”
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the WTA shared.
“We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”
It’s not Raducanu’s first run-in with an obsessive fan.
In December 2022, the tennis participant was pressured to file a restraining order in opposition to a former Amazon supply driver who stalked her at her London dwelling.
The obsessed fan left notes, flowers, and Christmas decorations and, on one explicit mission, stole certainly one of her father’s footwear as a memento.
Raducanu was left “creeped out” and scared to be dwelling alone over the incident.
The stalker was finally sentenced by a British courtroom in 2022 to neighborhood service and a five-year restraining order.
Raducanu, who ranked 61 on the planet, shot to international stardom after successful the US Open as a qualifier in 2021.
Nevertheless, the tennis star has struggled in majors for the reason that massive win and has spent lengthy stints battling accidents — lacking a lot of the 2023 season following wrists and her left ankle surgical procedure.
