Tennis – Dubai Championships – Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – February 16, 2025 Britain’s Emma Raducanu during her round of 64 match against Greece’s Maria Sakkari REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Emma Raducanu said she will be OK after what she called a “difficult experience” related to the presence of a man who had exhibited “fixated behavior” toward her at the Dubai Championships.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion had approached the chair umpire early in her second-round match against 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova on Tuesday night. She was in tears, and the WTA later linked her reaction to the presence of the unidentified man.
Article continues after this advertisement
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old British player responded with a statement on her Instagram account.
READ: Emma Raducanu approaches umpire in tears during Dubai match
“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,” Raducanu wrote. “Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
Article continues after this advertisement
Raducanu, who was still a teenager in 2022 when a man in Britain was convicted of stalking her, returned to play after a brief delay at 2-0 down and eventually lost 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Muchova.
Early Wednesday, the WTA issued a statement explaining that Raducanu was approached in a public space Monday “by a man who exhibited fixated behavior,” and “this same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday … and subsequently ejected.”
“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
The chair umpire called tournament organizers immediately when Raducanu reported her concerns in the first set of the night match, and Muchova walked over to console her opponent.
Raducanu then picked up a towel, wiped her face, nodded and continued the match. She didn’t immediately comment on the incident.
The WTA said it was working with Raducanu and her team “to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.”
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Raducanu rose to fame in 2021 by winning the U.S. Open as a qualifier, one of the the most unlikely achievements in tennis. She hasn’t advanced past the third round at a major since then and has spent long stints recovering from injuries.
