Emma Raducanu shaken after spotting stalker in Dubai crowd: “I’m proud of how I came back”

Emma Raducanu expressed gratitude to her fans and fellow player Karolina Muchova following a distressing moment in which she spotted her stalker in the stands. The 2021 US Open champion faced a tough situation during her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships fourth-round match against Muchova.

The British player had reportedly been harassed in the days leading up to the match by a man exhibiting "obsessive behaviour," according to the WTA.

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Upon seeing him in the crowd, Raducanu was visibly shaken, approached the chair umpire to report the incident, and broke down in tears. She stood behind the chairs until the spectator was removed from the stadium.

Despite her emotional distress, the former world No. 10 went on to compete but ultimately lost the match 6-7(8), 4-6. Afterward, she took to social media to thank her supporters for their messages.

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"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," she was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "Thank you to Karolina (Muchova) for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."

The WTA swiftly addressed the incident, issuing a statement confirming that the man involved has been banned from all WTA events.

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"On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour," the statement read. "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."

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