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The 22-year-old tennis champion said she is proud of her response after spotting a man who had previously ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ during a match at the Dubai Tennis Champions.
Emma Raducanu has said she will be OK after a ‘difficult experience’ at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
After two games had passed during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova, Emma noticed a man in the crowd she had interacted with previously off court on Monday. He had ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ and clearly caused physical upset when he was noticed during the match.
Emma hid behind the umpire’s chair after alerting the officials team to his presence, before being comforted by her opponent. The man was then promptly removed by security and banned from all future Women’s Tennis Association (WRA) events after a threat assessment.
This isn’t the first time Emma has dealt with unwanted attention and advances.
In 2022, another man walked 23 miles to her family home in London and took possessions off her front porch as ‘souvenirs.’ He was given a five-year restraining order.
In a statement, WTA said it was ‘actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.’ The Dubai Tennis Championships also noted that it ‘fully supported’ the WTA and the actions taken after the incident.
Emma’s experiences throughout her career exemplify the challenges that come with being a young woman at the top of a world sport.
She has faced a barrage of criticism since her Grand Slam win in 2021 at the US Open champion. Her 12 mid-match retirements on record have led many observers to label her a ‘quitter’.
She has always had expectations put on her shoulders since her early victory, putting mountains of pressure onto a player that is still only 22-years-old.
