ANALYSIS: Emma Raducanu's frightening stalker incident underlines need for tighter security measures to protect top stars

Emma Raducanu has been subject twice to major horrific stalking incidents during her time in the spotlight and it highlights again the aspect of the sport which perhaps needs changing across the board in tighter security and not putting these top sports people on as public view as they currently are. A part of tennis which is very much at the forefront.

Tennis perhaps is a closed door but isn't at the same time. Players roam from practice courts and take photos with fans often and in the case of Raducanu became a global phenomenon but with it comes the side which is there with most female players in particular which is unwanted attention.

Information released after the incident at the recent Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships which saw Raducanu hide behind the umpire's chair crying as Karolina Muchova comforted her saw a male banned from WTA tournaments. But he was supposedly at every tournament since the Australian Open.

He had given her a letter which was read including his number and name which of course is a dead giveaway to those in power to make sure he is banned but also he managed to get in during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships which saw it all come to a bit of a crescendo.

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In 2022, it went even closer to home as Raducanu was stalked by a man who was given a five-year restraining order after the start of her fame for showing up to the family home of the Brit three times including walking 23 miles to get there. He also stole her father's shoe as a souvenir. Raducanu admitted she didn't feel safe in her own home as a result of the incident.

As per an interview in the Guardian back in December, Katie Boulter had a harrowing experience herself when a man followed her all the way from Queen's Club to Sloane Square even with boyfriend and top pro Alex de Minaur in tow. She also had a fan in Nottingham turn up and say he was 'going to hurt her'.

Danielle Collins also has previously spoke out about it saying that friends and family have been called up at their place of work by a person harassing her during her earlier years on the tour.

“I don’t think it’s something that gets talked about a ton, but many of us have had security issues during our time playing on tour,” Collins said as per the same interview.

Molly McElwee, who interviewed Collins and Boulter penned a column this week about the topic and said that whilst attending Dubai herself, the tournament hotel is right next to the grounds and so players are very much in public view. So while it can be praised for being an open tournament, it means that fans like the one that made Raducanu frightened can access these players very easily.

Emma Raducanu had a setback of a different kind as she aims to gain form.

It has led to a knock on effect too with Raducanu hiring ex-Secret Service agents in a bid to make it a one and done case when it comes to her safety and this incident only goes to heighten the issues at play here which is that professional sportswomen in this case are too on public show for good and bad.

The good of course being those fans who manage to meet their heroes and don't cross a line and the bad of course being in this case people like those who approached Raducanu, Boulter and Collins without these players wanting said attention or making it clear they don't want it.

For a player like Raducanu, meeting fans will be a big part of her psyche and given she spends most of her time doing ambassadorial roles outside of the sport means she often meets the next generation of fans.

But also an incident like this will put her further on her guard in order to protect herself from similar incidents happening again. Something that no doubt other top names have found themselves on the receiving end of or will be pricking their ears up at this story in particular.

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It shows that albeit as pieces have said that WTA protocols do their job but that in light of Raducanu's incident that more care needs to be placed either by players or by the WTA themselves or tournaments such as Dubai to protect their top names.

Fans who often can only meet their favourites by getting a ball signed after a match can bump into them and while it is part of the charm of the sport, it also can lead to incidents like this. But social media also has played a part as such.

A main part of Raducanu's rise was the vitriol that soon accompanied her run as tabloids served to throw her into the spotlight then when she sunk with injuries, fans in certain sections rejoiced about this after having the Brit 'forced' upon them for a year or so in their view.

Fans can now publicise how they feel and while it is different to a stalker, it serves to fuel the echo chamber that in particular female players have to deal with. Social media abuse especially with those losing bets is very much rife and is often highlighted showing the scary nature both online and now in person that these players have to go through.

While not exclusively in the WTA sphere, this incident shows the need for higher security and perhaps closing off some of the top names more from the potential of an incident like this happening again. This person in question received a lifetime ban from WTA tournaments but as Collins and Boulter have proved, it wasn't just exclusively an issue involving Raducanu with statistics showing that 1 in 4 women experience stalking in their life in England and Wales.

Being in the limelight provides this but also shouldn't and this harrowing experience will hopefully aid a heightened sense of security and need to protect top athletes from people who don't have the best intentions of the person at their core.

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