Former US Open champ Emma Raducanu says 'I'll be okay' after man with 'fixated behavior' ejected from match

Former US Open champ Emma Raducanu says ‘I’ll be okay’ after man with ‘fixated behavior’ ejected from match

Posted by author February 19, 2025 Tennis

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Emma Raducanu has experienced multiple stalking incidents in her career. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

A match between former US Open champion Emma Raducanu and French Open finalist Karolína Muchová was interrupted Wednesday after Raducanu noticed a man who had allegedly been following her during her time in Dubai.

Raducanu approached the chair umpire during the first game of her Round of 32 match at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which was held at a court without a grandstand. Per The Telegraph, Raducanu had previously seen the man a number of times, and he personally handed her a letter at her hotel on Monday.

The alleged stalker was ejected from the facilities after Raducanu spoke with the chair umpire, with investigations reportedly ongoing.

Emma Raducanu’s fright when she realizes that a man who had approached her the day before in a public place in Dubai was attending her match against Muchova.

The man was fortunately arrested and banned from all WTA events.pic.twitter.com/63jdBNQb8V

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) February 19, 2025

The 22-year-old Raducanu, from England, continued to play, but she lost to Muchová in straight sets 7-6, 6-4. The next day, she posted a message on her Instagram story calling the experience difficult:

“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 Karolína for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”

This isn’t the first time Raducanu has dealt with stalker behavior. Three years ago, there was a five-year restraining order against a 35-year-old man convicted of stalking her. In that case, the man reportedly appeared at her house three different times.

The WTA also released a statement addressing the incident, describing the man as having “exhibited fixated behavior” and saying it had banned him from all WTA events pending a threat assessment:

On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior. 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.

Raducanu is currently ranked No. 61 in the WTA singles rankings after returning from multiple surgeries last year. She experienced a breakthrough in 2021 when she won the US Open at 18 years old, but has struggled to progress and stay healthy since then.