"I could barely breathe": Emma Raducanu shares horror of dealing with stalker in Dubai which left her in tears

Britain’s Emma Raducanu has opened up about the challenging time she faced during the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship 2025. The 22-year-old had to deal with an awkward situation in the second round of the contest in Dubai because of a stalker.

The former world number 10 was reduced to tears because of an ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ of a stalker as she lost the encounter against Karolina Muchova in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-4. Following that incident, WTA released a detailed statement and explained what steps they had taken to protect the player.

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

Raducanu has now been quoted in a report by Sky Sports, in which she opened up about the whole incident. The one-time Grand Slam winner stated that she could not see the ball because of tears in her eyes after having to deal with the stalker. Raducanu also highlighted that she now feels safe after the arrangements made to increase her security following the incident.

"I was obviously very distraught,” she said. “I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, I don't know how I'm going to finish. I literally couldn't see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, I need to just take a breather here. It was a very emotional time. After the match I did break down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost. There was just so much emotion in the last few weeks of the events happening, and I just needed that week off to take a breather and come here. I feel a lot better. [It] could have been dealt with better. Since that incident I have definitely got increased attention and greater security. All we can do is look at what happened and react to it in a better way, in a more positive way, rather than looking back and blaming the situation. Now it is being dealt with better, so for me that's important. I'm always now very aware and not necessarily doing things on my own any more. I'm always with someone and always being watched."