Emma Raducanu, the US Open champion of 2021, has shared details regarding a distressing incident during the recent Dubai Tennis Championships. The athlete was compelled to halt her match due to the unsettling presence of a man in the crowd who had reportedly been stalking her.

During her second-round match, Raducanu experienced a moment of acute distress shortly after the second game. She approached the umpire to express her concerns and then stepped back to collect herself. The man who caused her alarm was in the front rows, and had previously displayed “fixated behavior” toward her at other recent matches across the Middle East.

Security Measures Implemented

The man was subsequently ejected from the venue by the authorities and detained by Dubai police. Although Raducanu chose not to press charges, the individual has received a lifetime ban from participating in all Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) events.

Reflecting on the incident, Raducanu stated, “I was obviously very distraught. I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish.’ I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe.”

Previous Incidents and Emotional Impact

This situation is not the first of its kind for Raducanu. As a teenager, she dealt with a similar issue where a man stalked her family home in London, leading to his arrest and a five-year restraining order. Following the Dubai incident, Raducanu took time off from the sport to regain her emotional footing, describing the experience as particularly taxing.

Now feeling more at peace, Raducanu is set to return to competition at the Indian Wells tournament with enhanced security measures in place for her safety.

Upcoming Match

Despite losing her match in Dubai with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-4, she is prepared to face Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round at Indian Wells. A win would set her up for a challenging match against third-seeded Coco Gauff in the next round.