Dubai police detained the man who displayed “fixated behavior” toward tennis star Emma Raducanu during the Dubai Tennis Championships this week, the Dubai Government media office announced.
It also revealed that the 22-year-old Brit agreed to drop charges, while the man signed a “formal undertaking” to stay away from Raducanu.
“Dubai authorities have taken swift action to address an incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in accordance with local legal protocols,” the media office posted Thursday afternoon on X.
“Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behavior that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. 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. Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate.”
The harrowing situation unfolded earlier this week when the man in question approached Raducanu at her hotel, gave her a letter and took her photo, per the Associated Press.
During her round of 32 matchup Tuesday against Karolina Muchova, Raducanu broke down after seeing the man in the stands during her match.
She approached the umpire’s chair before moving behind it, while the umpire appeared to be relaying a message on a walkie talkie.
Muchova came over to the area and seemed to check in on her opponent, who she ultimately defeated in straight sets.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, opened up about the situation in her Instagram Story on Wednesday.
“Thank you for the messages of support,” Raducanu wrote.
“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.”
The male in question was ejected and barred from future events “pending a threat assessment,” the Women’s Tennis Association said in a statement posted to its X account.
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the WTA’s statement read. “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 previously dealt with a similar experience roughly three years ago when then-35-year-old Amrit Magar was arrested and received a five-year restraining order for stalking her while she was 19.
Magar came to her home three times and had left items, according to the BBC.
This new man in question is not believed to be British, per the Daily Mail, which would mean he’s not connected to the arrest.
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