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| Emma Raducanu was reduced to tears during a match (Image: WTA) |
Emma Raducanu broke down in tears and appeared to hide behind the umpire's chair in distressing scenes which took place during her second-round loss against Karolina Muchova in Dubai
The man who caused Emma Raducanu to break down during her Dubai Tennis Championships match had shown 'fixated behaviour' when handing her a letter at her hotel the previous day.
Raducanu, 22, became visibly distressed just two games into Tuesday's second-round defeat to Karolina Muchova. The match was briefly paused as the 2021 US Open champion broke down in tears and went behind the umpire's chair while asking for help.
The Telegraph report that Raducanu is understood to have been approached at her hotel on Monday by a man who handed her a letter. Although the individual's identity remains unknown at this stage, it's thought he isn't a UK national.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement: "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 Dubai Tennis Championships added: "We fully support the statement made earlier today by the WTA in regard to an incident involving Emma Raducanu on February 17. The tournament security team worked in collaboration with the WTA security team to proactively identify and immediately eject the individual in question from the stadium during Emma's second-round match on Tuesday."
In 2022, a man who stalked Raducanu while she was still a teenager was given a five-year restraining order. The individual had visited her home in Bromley three times following her remarkable US Open win aged 18.
Following the incident in Dubai, the Lawn Tennis Association reiterated: "This incident once again highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face. We have support available for British players and have been in contact with Emma and her team following the events in Dubai.
"We have extensive security arrangements at our events in Britain and keep these under constant review. The tours have strong processes in place already and we will continue to work together along with police and security providers to deal with situations like this robustly."
Raducanu's team or the 22-year-old herself are yet to comment. She's currently ranked No.61 in the world after several years of dealing with injury setbacks but is Britain's No.2 woman behind Katie Boulter.
- Nathan Ridley
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