A male spectator was removed from the Dubai Tennis Championships and has now been banned from all tennis events for displaying “exhibited fixated behavior” towards Emma Raducanu.
The former US Open champion was visibly upset during the opening stages of her second round match against Karolina Muchova, which she lost 7-6(6), 6-4. After going down 0-2 in the opening set, Raducanu was in tears and approached the umpire chair before going behind it to seemingly hide from something. She was consoled by Muchova throughout the incident unfolding.
At the time, it was unclear what was going on, but the WTA later confirmed the cause of Raducnu’s distress. The unnamed individual first approached the tennis star in public on Monday before attending her match a day later. No details have been revealed about what he said to Raducanu.
“On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior. 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,” the WTA said in a statement.
“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 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.”
It isn’t the first time Raducanu has felt threatened by a member of the public. In February 2022, a man was issued with a five-year restraining order and an 18-month community order after turning up at her house in Bromley, south-east London, three times. On one occasion, he posted a card that contained a hand-drawn map showing the 23 miles he had walked from his home to Raducanu’s.
Raducanu has not publically commented about the latest incident that happened in Dubai. Earlier this week, she ended a four-match losing run by defeating Maria Sakkari before getting knocked out of the Dubai draw by Muchova. So far this season, she has won three out of eight matches played. She is currently ranked 61st in the WTA rankings.
