Emma Raducanu was targeted by a man who “showed a fixed behavior” during her defeat in the second round against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai tennis championships, WTA told.
An emotional raducanu, 22, was seen hiding behind the referee’s chair two games in the Defeat by Muchova.
“On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public zone by a man who exposed a fixed behavior,” said Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
“This same individual was identified in the first lines during the Emma match on Tuesday and subsequently ejected.”
The man was prohibited from all WTA events, “while waiting for an assessment of threats”.
Raducanu alerted the chair referee for the situation and was comforted by the 14th seeded Muchova while the individual was withdrawn from court three.
The Briton returned to the court to applaud the crowd and continued to play, but fell to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.
On Wednesday, Raducanu posted on Instagram: “Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday, but I will be well and proud of the way I returned and I competed despite what happened at the start of the match.
“Thanks to Karolina for being a big sport and good luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
In 2022, a man who traveled 23 miles to the London house in Raducanu received a Five -year ban order.
The WTA said: “Players safety is our absolute priority, and tournaments are informed of best safety practices for international sporting events.
“The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.
“We remain determined to collaborate with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”
The Dubai tennis championships said that he had “fully supported” the WTA declaration and the subsequent measures taken by the director of the female game.
“The tournament security team worked in collaboration with the WTA security team to immediately identify and eject the individual in question from the stadium,” said the tournament organizers.
“We support the WTA’s decision from prohibiting the individual in question with all WTA events and sharing the long-standing commitment of the tour of players, security and well-being.
“We thank Emma for her contribution to this year’s tournament and we can’t wait to welcome her next year.”
The British director British Director La Pelouse Tennis Association (LTA) said that she had been in contact with Raducanu and her team in Dubai.
“This incident once again highlights security problems that all players, but that players in particular can face,” said LTA.
“Visits already have solid processes in place and we will continue to work together with the police and the security providers to deal with situations like this robust.”
