Emma Raducanu left in tears and hides behind umpire’s chair after seeing ‘fixated’ man in crowd before he’s dragged away
Raducanu was previously harassed by a stalker in 2022
EMMA RADUCANU was left in tears during a match last night after she was targeted by a man who “exhibited fixated behaviour”.
The British tennis star at one point cowered behind the umpire’s chair as a man, who was sitting in the front few rows, was dragged away from the court.
In distressing scenes in Dubai, Raducanu wiped tears away with a towel.
Her opponent came over to comfort her.
In a statement from the WTA, it was revealed that the same man had approached the 22-year-old in a public space the previous day and handed her a letter.
The man was ejected from the crowd and has received a ban from all WTA events.
Raducanu was taking on former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships on one of the event’s outside courts.
After two games she approached the umpire in clear distress, and even appeared to hide behind the official’s chair at one point.
She could then be seen wiping away tears with her towel as the man was ejected, with Muchova going over to comfort her.
A WTA statement subsequently read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.
“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.”
The WTA and tournament security were alerted to the situation on Tuesday at noon and efforts were made to identify the individual.
Additional security, who escorted Raducanu to and from the court and remained during the match, were assigned due to the situation.
Trailing 2-0 when she spotted the man, Raducanu then did well to compose herself and make the match competitive.
But she went on to lose 7-6 6-4.
Following her first round victory over Maria Sakkari, Raducanu had admitted that she was “really enjoying” her time in Dubai.
The former U.S. Open champion had snapped a four-match losing streak against the Greek.
Stalker hell
In January 2022, Raducanu revealed that she had been targeted by a stalker, who stole her dad’s shoe and left bizarre notes and gifts.
Married Amrit Magar, 35, was convicted of stalking at Bromley Magistrates Court.
Raducanu told cops at the time: “Because of this 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.”
Magar was subsequently handed a five-year restraining order, in addition to an 18-month community order.
