The WTA have issued a statement explaining the scary incident that reduced Emma Raducanu to tears during her match at the Dubai Tennis Championship on Tuesday.
The Briton was trailing 2-0 in the first set to Karolina Muchova in Dubai when the 22-year-old suddenly halted the match and walked over to her chair.
Raducanu appeared to break down in tears and even took refuge behind the umpire’s chair as she sobbed, leading Muchova to walk over and console her.
While it was not immediately clear what had triggered Raducanu to become upset, she informed the umpire about an apparent security breach after speaking with a member of her team.
She looked visibly emotional as she spoke with the official, wiping away tears with a towel. And the incident triggered concern amongst the commentators and also fans watching on TV.
The WTA later revealed that a spectator had been banned from the tournament after they had ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ with the 2021 US Open champion.
It read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.
“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. 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.”
Despite the worrying ordeal that she faced, Raducanu showed tremendous courage to continue playing on the outer court and fought back from 4-0 down to force a tiebreak in the first set.
However, Muchova held her nerve and edged it 8-6 to give her the lead heading into the second set.
Raducanu similarly battled bravely in the second set, but went down 6-4 to the No. 14 seed in Dubai to confirm her exit from the tournament.
While the result may have been disappointing, Raducanu exhibited progress in her game after ending a four-match losing streak.
Having been beaten by Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets in the opening round of the Qatar Open, the world No. 60 beat Maria Sakkari in the first round in the United Arab Emirates despite not having a coach.
As for Muchova, the Czech takes on McCartney Kessler in the third round after the American’s upset over compatriot Coco Gauff.
