Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu was left visibly upset after been approached by a man displaying “fixated behaviour”, who was subsequently ejected from the court by security, ahead of her defeat against Karolina Muchova in the Dubai Duty Tennis Free Tennis Championship.
Raducanu appeared to be in tears as she went to the umpire’s chair after the second game of her rain-delayedsecond-round match.
A Women’s Tennis Association statement on the incident read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior.
WTA statement on the security incident in Dubai:
— wta (@WTA) February 19, 2025
On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior. This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis…
“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best 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 committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”