A match between former United States champion Emma Raducanu and the finalist of the French Open Karolína Muchová was interrupted Wednesday after Raducanu noticed a man who followed him during his stay in Dubai.
Raducanu approached the chair referee in the first match of his 32 -game round at the Dubai tennis championships, which was held in a court without a tribune. By The telegraphRaducanu had already seen the man on several occasions, and he had personally gave him a letter to his hotel on Monday.
The alleged harasser was ejected from the facilities after Raducanu spoke with the chair referee, the surveys were underway.
Emma Raducanu is fear when she realizes that a man who had approached her the day before in a public place in Dubai attended her match against Muchova.
Fortunately, the man was arrested and prohibited from all WTA events.pic.twitter.com/63jdbnqb8v
– We are tennis (@wearetennis) February 19, 2025
Raducanu, 22, from England, continued to play, but she lost Muchová in two sets 7-6, 6-4. The next day, she published a message on her Instagram history calling difficult experience:
“Thank you for messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday, but I will be good and proud of the way I came back and I competed despite what happened at the start of the match. Thanks to Karolína for being a big Sport and good luck to her for the rest of the tournament.
This is not the first time that Raducanu has been the behavior of the harasser. Three years ago, There was a five -year ban order against a 35 -year -old man found guilty of tracking her down. In this case, the man would have appeared in her three times.
The WTA too published a declaration concerning the incidentDescribing man as having “fixed behavior” and saying that he had prohibited him from all WTA events while waiting for a threat assessment:
On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public zone by a man who exposed a fixed behavior. This same individual was identified in the first lines in the Emma match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free tennis championships and was then ejected. It will be prohibited from all WTA events pending threats assessment.
Player safety is our top 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.
Raducanu is currently classified n ° 61 in the classification of WTA singles after its return from several surgeries last year. She experienced a breakthrough in 2021 when she won the US Open at 18, but had trouble progressing and staying healthy since then.
