Dubai – British tennis star, Emma Raducanu, suddenly broke down in tears mid-match on February 18th during the second round. She approached the umpire and was seen whispering back and forth before the umpire pulled out her walkie-talkie and began speaking into it. Raducanu’s opponent, Czech player Karolina Muchova, approached her and reportedly began attempting to console her.
Dubai authorities and security took quick action after being contacted and promptly detained a tourist in the stands. The unidentified man had allegedly been following the star, with reports of his attendance at the match on Feb. 16.
Raducanu also stated the man approached her, exhibiting strange behavior on Feb. 17. He reportedly handed her a note which “caused her distress” and took a picture of her. The encounter left her unsettled before seeing him the following day.
“The individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments,” read a statement. “Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate.”
After his removal, Raducanu continued the match before losing 7-6, 6-4 to the 14th seed. The WTA issued a statement explaining the situation and confirming that he will be “banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
This is not the first stalking incident that Raducanu has experienced. In 2022, a man was charged with stalking her after he showed up with unwanted gifts and flowers on three occasions. The man received a five-year restraining order.
Many online think back to Olympic Medalist, Monica Seles, who was playing a match in Germany in 1993 when she was suddenly stabbed in the back by a crazed fan. The man was arrested and charged with assault and battery, but ruled psychologically unstable and let go. Many news reports label the man as fixated or having fixated behavior, however, this is a case of stalking and Randucanu was allowed to feel fear.
The Department of Justice reports that more than half of stalking victims miss five days or more of work, 46% feel fear of what may happen next, most victims are threatened with physical harm, and 1 in 5 stalkers use weapons to harm or threaten victims.
If you are being stalked you can contact your local authorities, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, or Victim Connect.
