Emma Raducanu has posted a statement to fans on Instagram after being left in tears on Tuesday when a ‘fixated’ man was removed from the crowd during her second-round match in Dubai.
Raducanu was just two games down to former top-10 player Karolina Muchova when play was brought to a halt with the former US Open champion in tears.
She was seen discussing the issue with umpire Miriam Bley, who communicated with tournament organisers off court via her walkie-talkie.
The 22-year-old then hid behind the umpire’s chair and had to be comforted by Bley and her opponent Muchova, before play could resume. Raducanu was eventually beaten 7-6, 6-4 in a tightly-fought contest.
The WTA confirmed that a man had previously approached Raducanu at her first-round match against Maria Sakkari, adding in a statement that the governing body were working with the player to ensure her safety. The man has been banned from WTA events.
Raducanu has now taken to social media to break her silence on the incident.
Emma Raducanu broke down in tears in the early stages of her second round match on Tuesday
Raducanu was visibly distressed after pointing out the ‘stalker’ to umpire Miriam Bley
Raducanu posted a message on Instagram thanking fans for their support following her ordeal
Alongside a photo of the Jane Austen novel ‘Emma’ and a cup of coffee, Raducanu wrote: ‘Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.
‘Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.’
It is understood that Raducanu had been startled after seeing the man on a number of occasions previously.
She was able to compose herself to complete Tuesday’s match after being reassured that action was being taken by security.
With investigations continuing on Wednesday, Raducanu was due to fly home to London.
Organisers of the Dubai Open had earlier released their own statement following Raducanu’s ordeal.
‘We fully support the statement made earlier today by the WTA in regard to an incident involving Emma Raducanu on February 17,’ their statement read.
‘The tournament security team worked in collaboration with the WTA security team to proactively identify and immediately eject the individual in question from the stadium during Emma’s second-round match on Tuesday.
Raducanu was able to complete her match after the ‘fixated’ man was removed from the crowd
Raducanu was eventually beaten by Karolina Muchova (pictured), who she thanked for being a ‘great sport’ when she was visibly upset on court
‘We support the WTA’s decision to ban the individual in question from all WTA events, and share the Tour’s longstanding commitment to player welfare, safety and wellbeing.
‘We thank Emma for her contribution to this year’s tournament, and look forward to welcoming her back next year.’
Raducanu has previously been targeted by unwanted and troubling attention from obsessive fans, seeing a five-year ban handed out to a stalker who walked 23 miles to her family home in late 2021.
Amrit Magar, 35, was convicted in early 2022 after being found guilty of sending love notes, visiting Raducanu’s home on three separate occasions, and stealing a shoe which he believed belonged to the then-19-year-old player.
Raducanu later admitted in a statement shared with the court that the experience had left her ‘constantly looking over her shoulder’ and feeling as if her ‘freedom had been taken away’.
The player had previously been looking to build on snapping her losing streak after a confident defeat of Sakkari in the first round.
Raducanu had previously lost three matches in a row, failing to make it past of the first round at both the Abu Dhabi Open and the Qatar Open on the heels of her Australian Open exit last month.
