US Open champ Emma Raducanu breaks silence on ‘difficult experience’ with ‘fixated’ fan at Dubai Championships
Emma Raducanu has spoken out about her "difficult experience" involving a "fixated" fan at the Dubai Tennis Championships this week.
An emotional Raducanu approached the chair umpire during the first set of her match against Karolina Muchova on Tuesday night after she saw a fan in the stands, who had previously approached her just a day earlier.
Play was halted, and the unidentified man was ejected.
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The WTA explained that "a man who exhibited fixated behavior" approached the 2021 U.S. Open champion in a public space on Monday. The man was then seen the following day at her match in the first few rows.
According to the Government of Dubai Media Office, the man "left her a note" and also took a photograph of her.
"Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships," the statement read.
"While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments. Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate."
The WTA also banned the man from all future tournaments "pending a threat assessment."
In a message to fans on social media, Raducanu opened up about the situation.
"Thank you for the messages of support," she wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories.
"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," Raducanu wrote. "Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."
Raducanu was given a five-year restraining order against a man in London in 2022 after he was found guilty of stalking her. The man appeared at her home on several occasions and left unwanted gifts. She was 19 at the time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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