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Emma Raducanu was left in tears on court in Dubai after a man “exhibited fixated behaviour” during her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed it has now banned a man, who was taken away by security personnel during the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The 22-year-old was visibly emotional Raducanu during the first set at 0-2 against her Czech opponent and was seen waiting behind the umpire’s chair as help was organised.
The man, who was also seen at Raducanu’s first match in Dubai on Sunday against Maria Sakkari, is now banned from all WTA events, “pending a threat assessment,” with the WTA’s statement confirming Raducanu has been offered support.
“On Monday Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour,” the WTA statement said, with Raducanu going on to lose 6-7 (6), 4-6 and exit the tournament after ending her losing streak in the first round against Sakkari.
“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 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.
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.”
The news comes three years after a man was given a five-year restraining order In 2022 after walking 23 miles to Raducanu’s London home.
“Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own,” Raducanu said at the time.
“I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home, which is where I should feel safest.”
Raducanu had produced some fine tennis to prevail on Sunday against Sakkari, with the world No.61 encouraged by her performance as she bids to gain momentum in 2025.
“I just tried to stay really focused on the point in front of me,” Raducanu said in a court-side interview.
“There were some momentum shifts throughout the match and when I got broken twice early in the sets I just regrouped really well and I managed to break back [immediately] both times.
“I was really pleased with how I fought and competed against Maria, she’s a top player, been as high as three in the world. I’m just really proud of my performance.”
After the interruption in the first set in the rain-delayed encounter, Raducanu showed resilience to come back from a 4-0 deficit.
The former US Open champion broke back to register a first service game in the fifth game of the contest.
A second break in the ninth game left her just 5-4 behind and she even erased two set points in the tie-break and squandered one of her own in the fiercely competitive first set, only for Muchova to edge it 8-6 in the tie-break.
After being broken again in the first game of the second set, Raducanu could not find a way back into the match.
Raducanu was confirmed as one of the players to feature in the new Queen’s tournament, the first women’s event held there since 1973.
