‘Fixated’ Tennis Fan Banned After Distressing Emma Raducanu

Tennis star Emma Raducanu dealt with a terrifying story involving a stalker that wound up spilling over into her singles match at the Dubai Tennis Championship earlier this week.

The 22-year-old British player wound up breaking out into tears mid-match after noticing a man with “fixated behavior” in the crowd. It was the same man who had found her in the hotel prior and given her a letter. The details of what was written in that have not been released, but the entire ordeal reached a breaking point when she noticed him at the match.

As her bout with Karolina Muchova hit a standstill with Raducanu stepping away, she notified the on-court official who eventually ran it up the ladder. The fan in question was located in the first few rows and removed from the facility.

The WTA later put out a statement about the situation, notifying the public that this man had been “banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”

Tennis Star Emma Raducanu Encounters Stalker Mid-Match

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the statement went on. The WTA is carrying out an investigation and working with Raducanu to “ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.”

She didn’t comment on the matter after losing the match. That’s understandable considering how frazzled and disoriented she probably was after going through those string of events. Raducanu did write a message on Instagram Wednesday morning thanking her support after the “difficult experience.”

She said she will be fine and is “proud” of how she stepped back on the court and competed.

The identity of the man has not been revealed, but as The BBC reports, this isn’t the first run-in with a stalker. She dealt with a similar case in 2022 when someone showed up at her London home. He was later issued a five-year restraining order.

The Lawn Tennis Association, which is Britain’s governing body in the sports of tennis, has also been in contact with Raducanu, telling the BBC that this situation “highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face.”

The harrowing image of Raducanu heading over to the tennis judge, clearly distraught, is tough to see. You can tell she was attempting to hide or conceal herself from the threat. More details will likely come out as more details emerge, but thankfully Raducanu appears to be in better spirits and the stalker has at least been identified.