Abdelrahman
In a surprising turn of events during her match at the Dubai Tennis Championships, former US Open champion Emma Raducanu halted play after spotting a man she believed had been following her. This incident occurred at the start of her Round of 32 match against French Open finalist Karolína Muchová.
As reported by The Telegraph, Raducanu recognized the individual who approached her earlier in the week, personally handing her a note at her hotel.
Following her report, the alleged stalker was removed from the venue, with investigations ongoing.
Emma Raducanu’s alarm was evident when she realized a man who had approached her in public just a day before was present at her match against Muchová. Fortunately, this individual was arrested and banned from attending all WTA events. pic.twitter.com/63jdBNQb8V
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) February 19, 2025
Despite the incident, the 22-year-old athlete from the UK continued her match but ultimately fell to Muchová in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. Following this experience, Raducanu took to Instagram to share her feelings, acknowledging the challenges she faced:
“Thank you all for the kind messages. Yesterday was difficult, but I am okay and proud of my resilience and the way I competed despite the unsettling start. Big thanks to Karolína for being such a great sport, and I wish her all the best for the tournament.”
This isn’t an isolated incident for Raducanu; she has previously dealt with stalking issues. Three years ago, she was the subject of a five-year restraining order against a man convicted of stalking her after he was reported to have visited her home multiple times.
The WTA has since released a statement regarding the situation. They described the individual as having “exhibited fixated behavior” and confirmed that he was banned from all WTA events while further assessments are conducted:
On February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached by a man displaying fixated behavior in a public setting. This same person was identified in the stands during her match on February 18 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and was subsequently removed from the venue. He has been banned from all WTA events pending a threat evaluation.
The safety of our players is our utmost priority, and we recommend best security practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively collaborating with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide necessary support. We are committed to working with tournaments and their security personnel globally to create a safe environment for all players.
Currently ranked No. 61 in the WTA singles standings, Raducanu is on the mend after undergoing multiple surgeries last year. She catapulted to fame in 2021 when she won the US Open at just 18 years old but has since faced challenges in maintaining her progress and health.
