Safe in tennis paradise, Emma Raducanu looks back on a night in tennis hell. ‘I saw him in the first game of the match,’ says the 22-year-old of the stalker who appeared in the crowd for her match in Dubai two weeks ago. ‘I was distraught. I was thinking, I don’t know how I’m going to finish. I literally couldn’t see the ball through the tears.

‘I could barely breathe. I was playing Karolina (Muchova), who’s top 17 in the world, and I can’t see the ball. And I’m like, I need to take a breather here. The first four games ran away from me because I was just not on the court. It was a pretty good effort for me to carry on playing.

‘After the match, I completely broke down in tears. There was just so much emotion. I needed a week off to take a breather. I feel a lot better.’

Raducanu flew straight back to London and into the arms of her mother and father. She was close to skipping Indian Wells but what better way to banish dark memories than a return to self-styled tennis paradise – an oasis of beauty set amid mountains and palm trees.

‘I wasn’t sure if I was going to play here. I didn’t know if I was going to be ready,’ she says. ‘It was a big shock.

‘The allure of Indian Wells being my favourite tournament, I just couldn’t step away from it.

Raducanu reflected on how a stalker at last month’s Dubai Open had left her ‘distraught’

The 22-year-old said she could ‘barely breathe’ and could not see the ball through her tears 

‘Since being here I have definitely come into myself a lot more and feeling happier, feeling more like myself again. I’m happy I made that decision.’

She looks happy, too, deeply bronzed by the Californian sun, smiley and relaxed after a cold-turkey break from tennis.

‘I landed back in London and had a week break, a week of… nothing. It was nice. I didn’t practice, I read a lot. I finished two books (one, appropriately enough, was Emma by Jane Austen) and spent most of my time in Gail’s (the swish coffee shop and bakery chain) and Waterstones.’

Here in California Raducanu has been provided with extra protection – to the extent that this chat with a small group of British journalists is being watched over by two security guards. But she has decided not to employ any personal, off-site security.

‘This tournament I have had a lot of security with me,’ she says. ‘It’s amazing to feel protected, to feel safe. I’m very grateful for the tournament for this.

‘When I’m away from the courts, I don’t have private security right now but I’m always with someone who could raise the alarm or help.

‘Since the incident in Dubai, I have been a lot more aware, whereas before I would have gone on walks alone, now I’m not going anywhere alone. I’m pretty much chaperoned everywhere.’

This constant alertness to danger feels like a terrible burden for a young woman to bear.

The British star admitted she had come close to skipping Indian Wells after the incident

The British star has shared upbeat photos on social media ahead of playing at Indian Wells

Raducanu revealed she feels better having taken the decision to play at the Californian event

Raducanu, 22 has been given extra protection and admits she has become more cautious 

She was approached twice by the man and said the second incident was ‘really worrying’

‘When I’m on and around site it’s completely fine. Mike (she indicates one of the burly gentlemen) does an amazing job of staying in the shadows, he’s always there but you can’t necessarily see him. If they’re doing it like Mike it’s not a burden at all.’

Would she consider hiring personal security? Perhaps someone to guard her home in Bromley, where in 2022 she was targeted by a different stalker.

‘I live in a very safe environment, there’s people looking after the place, really high-tech alarms,’ she says. ‘So it’s very secure. With my parents there, I feel a bit more comfortable.

‘It’s not something I’ve necessarily looked into. It’s a question that was raised in the last week after Dubai, but it’s extremely expensive.’

We return to that incident in Dubai. A man who had stalked Raducanu across four countries approached her in a coffee shop, giving her a letter with his contact details and a photograph. She reveals that was one of two meetings in the city, before the man then showed up on her court.

‘There were two instances and it was the second one I got freaked out by,’ she says. ‘The first was more like a normal fan approaching you, except for the fact he told me he followed me from everywhere.

‘And then he watched me in the coffee shop for a while and the second incident was really worrying.’

What can be so difficult for female tennis players is to judge which superfans are harmless and which are potentially dangerous. For example, Raducanu has one supporter who follows her all over the world, cheering from the stands.

‘With Mark, he’s loud, he’s there, he’s front row, he’s wearing an Emma shirt,’ says Raducanu. ‘It’s the ones in the shadows who are more nerve wracking. It’s the hidden ones who are scarier.’

Depressingly, looking over her shoulder is becoming a reflex for Raducanu.

‘In England it’s pretty difficult for me to go out and about,’ she says. ‘Sometimes I’ve had neck pain from looking at the floor so much with a cap on.

‘It comes with the territory. I’m grateful for all the positive support and love I get from my fans.

‘You need to spin it into a positive because otherwise, if you look at it the other way, it could easily just get you down.’