Raducanu started crying after going 2-0 down in her match against Karolina Muchova yesterday and spoke to the umpire about something. The chair official could be seen on the phone, and it was later confirmed that someone was removed from the crowd.
In a statement, the WTA said: “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.”
The “fixated behaviour” in question reportedly refers to an incident that took place in Raducanu’s hotel. The man is said to have approached the world No. 61 in her hotel, handing her a letter.
Raducanu was so distressed by the encounter, she reportedly reported this to on-site security and WTA staff.
The 22-year-old spotted the same individial in the stands for her second-round match on Tuesday night and became visibly anxious.
The man is not believed to be a British national. This means the Dubai incident likely has no connection to a previous encounter Raducanu had with a stalker.
In 2022, a stalker who walked more than 23 miles to Raducanu’s south-east London home was handed a five-year restratining order. The former delivery driver, 35, turned up to her house three times. He was arrested after being spotted by Raducanu’s father.
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