Footage has emerged of the moment a terrified Emma Raducanu spotted a ‘fixated’ fan in the crowd during her second-round match with Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. The 22-year-old had come into contact with the man earlier in the week, when he approached her, took a photograph and handed her a letter.

The 2021 US Open champion was clearly uncomfortable with what was later referred to as his ‘fixated behaviour’ as she reported the matter to the WTA ahead of her return to court the following day. However, the individual was able to gain access to the Aviation Club Tennis Centre without being stopped by security.

Raducanu broke down in tears when seeing him in the first few rows for her match with Muchova. Upon spotting him, the player immediately rushed over to umpire, Miriam Bley, and hid behind the official’s chair while the situation was resolved.

Brit sought shelter under the umpire’s chair while security went into the stands

Per The Sun, video taken from the crowd appears to show Raducanu making eye contact with the man. Shortly afterwards, the same individual is seen being escorted out of the venue by security.

In an official statement, via Daily Mail, Dubai Police confirmed the stalker was a tourist who had since been detained by authorities for causing “distress towards Emma Raducanu”. The authorities also provided details of the future implications of the matter, mentioning: “While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the ­individual signed a formal undertaking to ­maintain ­distance from her and has been banned from future ­tournaments.”

While that agreement essentially amounts to a restraining order, Wimbledon bosses have reportedly been passed the man’s details and have placed him on a watchlist ahead of this summer’s tournament, where Raducanu is expected to participate.

The Brit bravely returned to the match after the incident, but was defeated by Muchova in straight sets (7-6, 6-4). She has since flown home and posted a message on social media on Wednesday thanking her fans – and her opponent – for their support.

“Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday, but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match. Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”

This is not the first time Raducanu has had to deal with unwanted attention, as she was the victim of a scary situation in 2021, when a former delivery driver visited her home uninvited on more than one occasion. The male individual left unwanted gifts at her family property – in addition to stealing a shoe from the house porch as a souvenir. A court hearing in 2022 handed Amrit Magar a restraining order of five years against Raducanu and her parents.