‘Fixated’ spectator ejected from Emma Raducanu’s Dubai Tennis Championships match
A man was ejected from the Dubai Tennis Championships after displaying “fixated behavior” towards British player Emma Raducanu on Tuesday, the WTA said in a statement.
According to the WTA, the governing body of women’s tennis, the man approached Raducanu in a public area on Monday and then was also seen “in the first few rows” of her match on Tuesday before being ejected.
“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment,” the WTA said.
Near the start of her second-round match against Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchová in Dubai, Raducanu appeared visibly emotional as she spoke with the umpire and then hid behind the umpire’s chair.
Muchová, who was leading 2-0 in the first set at the time, went over to comfort her opponent and the match resumed after a short break.
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the WTA added.
“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.”
Raducanu trailed 4-0 in the first set against Muchová but soon hit back to make it 5-4.
However, it was the world No. 17 who edged the first-set tie-break and then broke Raducanu’s serve early in the second set to take control of the contest.
With the victory, Muchová will now face American McCartney Kessler, who defeated compatriot Coco Gauff on Tuesday, in the third round.
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Emma Raducanu ‘stalker’ followed her from Singapore to Middle East, coach claims
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Raducanu, 22, was left in tears on court in Dubai this week after spotting the man in the stands
Emma Raducanu was stalked across multiple countries and continents by a “calculating” and “terrifying” man, one of her former coaches has alleged.
Raducanu, 22, dropped charges against a man who was arrested in Dubai on Tuesday after turning up at her second-round match against Karolina Muchova.
It was previously understood the British No 2 had been approached in the street by the individual, who had handed her a letter and taken photos, and she later notified tournament authorities.
But Roman Kelecic, who coached Raducanu as a junior and was also seen working with her in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, now claims the man was seen at three other tournaments, going back to her January defeat in Singapore.
“This man followed her to Singapore, to Abu Dhabi where I was with her, again in Doha, now in Dubai and we noticed him,” Kelecic told Croatian outlet Net.
“But initially we thought he was a fan, an admirer, because Emma is a really big tennis star with a huge fan base. Until he got physically close to her, started having contact in the form of selfies, hugging, etc.”
It is also claimed that Raducanu was approached by the individual in a tournament restaurant on Monday, the day before her match against Muchova – although tournament authorities and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) say this would have been impossible and the approach took place off-site.
“That was the only moment in a month where I, the fitness coach, the security guard who was with us, was not with her at that moment,” Kelecic added.
“So, that man was assessing the situation and looking for the best moment to get closer to her. He had a strategy that was terrifying, he thought everything through, calculated it.
“It’s terrifying how much he, in essence, thought about it all and planned it. His strategy worked, and it was to get closer to her.
“That evening we reported it immediately and again in the morning, when she was playing the match, because her safety is the most important thing to us.”
A WTA source has told The i Paper that the approach was not reported until Tuesday lunchtime.
Kelecic also said that pictures of the man had been circulated in advance of the match, but it was Raducanu herself who spotted him in the crowd and asked for him to be removed.
“Three or four hours before the match we have a photo of that stalker. Not only us, the entire security at the tournament has his photo and everyone knows who he is,” Kelecic said.
“The first game, two points gone, 15-15, Emma is on the other side of the court and she’s showing us something. At that moment we didn’t know what it was. Emma loses the first game and runs to us, crying, shouting, ‘here he is, here he is, here he is’.”
Tournament security escorted him off the court and he was arrested by Dubai police, although Raducanu later dropped charges after the man, who is understood not to be a British or UAE national, signed an undertaking not to go near her again.
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f you watched any of Emma Raducanu’s Tuesday match against Karolina Muchova, it was probably only the two clips, stitched together neatly for the news highlights. Raducanu approaching the umpire. Raducanu wiping away tears with a towel.
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