Emma Raducanu’s security is ‘ramped up by ex-US Secret Service agent’ as Indian Wells try to convince Brit to play again after her stalking nightmare
Emma Raducanu has been offered up to five extra security guards by Indian Wells Open organisers as they try to convince the Brit to play in their presigious tournament.
In her second round match in Dubai last week, Raducanu was brought to tears and hid on the court when she spotted the man in the crowd.
It emerged that this individual had been showing signs of ‘fixated behaviour’ and had already approached her once that week. He was subsequently detained by police in the United Arab Emirates and given a restraining order.
Raducanu, 22, is next due on court at the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, which begins a week on Wednesday. The Californian event is second only to the Grand Slams in importance and the Brit is reportedly keen to play and move on from the recent harrowing experience.
And event organisers, eager to have one of the biggests draws in the women’s game on board, have been making special arrangements to ensure she is as safe as possible, according to The Times.
The WTA Tour’s formidable vice-president of security, Bob Campbell, is in charge of ensuring arrangements for the tournament next week and has a record of protecting some of the most targeted individuals on the planet.
Emma Raducanu broke down in tears during her second-round match in Dubai last week
Raducanu was able to complete her match after the ‘fixated’ man was removed from the crowd
The Brit will be keen to play at Indian Wells which is the one of the biggest tournaments on tour
Campbell was a secret service agent for between 1983 and 2003, and is understood to have had a prominent role during the Bill Clinton presidency before he moved into sport with Major League Baseball. He joined the WTA in his present role in 2013.
Raducanu’s security has come under the microscope after Roman Kelecic, who has been temporarily coaching Raducanu, claimed the Dubai stalker had been following her from tournament to tournament across four countries.
He said: ‘This man followed her to Singapore, to Abu Dhabi – where I was with her – again in Doha, now in Dubai and we noticed him.
‘Initially we thought he was a fan… until he got physically close to her, started having contact in the form of selfies, hugging.’
Raducanu has since dropped legal charges against the man in the United Arab Emirates after he ‘signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her.’ He has also been banned by the WTA from future tournaments.
