Emma Raducanu recalls debilitating fear after being confronted by ‘fixated’ fan during Dubai championships

One-time U.S Open champion Emma Raducanu said she suffered a carnal absorption astatine the Dubai championships past period aft being confronted by a antheral that was "fixated" connected the young tennis star, yet resulting successful him being detained by section instrumentality enforcement. 

Raducanu, 22, recalled the aggravated concern astatine the BNP Paribas Open successful Indian Wells, her archetypal tourney since the incidental took place. 

Emma Raducanu celebrates during her lucifer against Amanda Anisimova astatine the Australian Open astatine Melbourne Park connected Jan. 16, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

"I was evidently precise distraught," Raducanu said. 

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"I saw him successful the archetypal crippled of the lucifer and I was like, ‘I don’t cognize however I’m going to finish.’ I virtually couldn’t spot the shot done tears. I could hardly breathe. I was like, ‘I request to conscionable instrumentality a breather here.'"

The WTA explained successful a connection astatine the clip that "a antheral who exhibited fixated behavior" approached Raducanu successful a nationalist space. The pursuing day, that aforesaid antheral was spotted astatine her lucifer successful the archetypal fewer rows. 

According to the Government of Dubai Media Office, the antheral "left her a note" and besides took a photograph of her during 1 of those encounters. 

Emma Raducanu plays a forehand instrumentality to Iga Swiatek astatine the Australian Open successful Melbourne, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)

US OPEN CHAMP EMMA RADUCANU BREAKS SILENCE ON ‘DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE’ WITH ‘FIXATED’ FAN AT DUBAI CHAMPIONSHIPS

"Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourer who approached her, near her a note, took her photograph, and engaged successful behaviour that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships," the connection read. 

According to Reuters, the antheral approached her doubly disconnected the tribunal successful Dubai and had been antecedently spotted astatine tournaments successful Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha successful the preceding weeks.

The man, who has yet to beryllium identified, was aboriginal detained but Raducanu opted to driblet the charges against him. 

Emma Raducanu during her lucifer against Amanda Anisimova astatine the Australian Open connected Jan. 16, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

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"It was a precise affectional time," she added. "After the lucifer I did interruption down successful tears, but not needfully due to the fact that I lost."

The antheral was banned by the WTA from each aboriginal tournaments "pending a menace assessment." 

Raducanu was fixed a five-year restraining bid against a antheral successful London successful 2022 aft helium was recovered blameworthy of stalking her. The antheral appeared astatine her location connected respective occasions and near unwanted gifts. She was 19 astatine the time. 

Raducana volition look Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima successful her archetypal tourney since the incidental connected Thursday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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