DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Emma Raducanu has expressed that she will be alright following what she described as a “challenging experience” stemming from an incident involving a man who displayed “fixated behavior” towards her during the Dubai Championships.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion approached the chair umpire in tears during her second-round match against the 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) later stated that her reaction was related to the presence of the unidentified man in the audience.
On Wednesday, Raducanu took to her Instagram to address the situation. “I appreciate all the supportive messages. It was a tough experience yesterday, but I’ll be okay and I’m proud of myself for how I managed to return and compete regardless of the incident at the beginning of the match,” she shared. “Thanks to Karolina for being such a great sport, and I wish her the best of luck for the remainder of the tournament.”
At the age of 22, Raducanu recently had to confront a similar situation when a man was convicted of stalking her in Britain during her teenage years. Despite the distressing circumstances, she resumed play after a brief interruption while trailing 2-0 and ultimately lost the match 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Muchova.
Early on Wednesday, the WTA issued a statement detailing that Raducanu had been approached by a man showing fixated behavior in a public area on Monday. This same individual was later seen in the first few rows of the audience during Raducanu’s match, which prompted his removal from the venue.
The WTA announced, “He will be banned from all WTA events while we conduct a threat assessment.” The chair umpire quickly contacted tournament officials after Raducanu voiced her concerns during the first set, while Muchova took a moment to offer her opponent some comfort.
After regaining her composure, Raducanu picked up a towel, wiped her face, and continued with the match without immediately discussing the incident further. The WTA indicated that they are collaborating with Raducanu and her team to ensure she receives the necessary support and maintains her well-being.
Raducanu rose to prominence in 2021 when she made history by winning the U.S. Open as a qualifier, an extraordinary feat in the world of tennis. Since that remarkable tournament, however, she has struggled to progress beyond the third round in any major competition and has faced prolonged periods of recovery due to injuries.
