WTA Confirms Raducanu's Incident With Stalker During Dubai Loss
News
Emma Raducanu was involved in an incident during the 2025 Dubai Championships, which was confirmed by the WTA.
Raducanu has struggled with her form in recent weeks, but she finally found it at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai. The British player received a wild card to compete at the 2025 Dubai Championships, and she used it well.
Raducanu beat Maria Sakkari in the first round to set up a second-round meeting with the 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova. But prior to her meeting with the Czech player, Raducanu experienced an unpleasant moment, which wasn't made public until it escalated even further during her second-round match.
The two players stepped onto the court, and everything looked like it was just another match. But that changed after the first two games were played.
Muchova won both of those games, and after that, Raducanu approached the chair umpire, and it appeared that she was crying. At one point, the 22-year-old player even hid behind the umpire's chair.
Raducanu repeatedly looked into the crowd, so it was clear the issue had something to do with one of the fans. Incidents with fans happen relatively often in tennis, so that wouldn't be really surprising.
But this time, there was more to the story. The person was immediately removed from the venue, and rumors started spreading about the person possibly being Raducanu's stalked, but nothing was confirmed.
That was until the WTA published an official statement, which, unfortunately, confirmed that the person in the crowd was indeed a stalker, who was later removed from the stadium.
"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."
The WTA also announced that the person will be banned from all of their tournaments. The association cares about the safety of its players, which is why it wanted to respond quickly to this incident.
Although their response will certainly make Raducanu happy and maybe feel safer in the future, it's a very challenging situation for the Brit, who had experience with stalkers before. One even received a five-year restraining order.
"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."
In the statement, the WTA also confirmed that they are working with Raducanu to make sure she receives all the necessary support in this situation.
"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."
Unfortunately, this incident once again proves that while most of the fans only see players on the tennis courts, they have their personal lives as well, which are often impacted by their professional careers.
