Luke Littler has opened up about the experiences of being a young sports star in the public spotlight following Emma Raducanu’s recent stalker incident.
Raducanu had reportedly been approached by a stranger and handed a letter while leaving her hotel room at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The same man is said to have appeared in the crowd during her second-round clash with Karolína Muchova at the event in the Middle East.
It sparked an emotional reaction from Raducanu, who burst into tears on the court before confronting the chair umpire to explain the decision.
On Thursday it was revealed he’d been handed a restraining order, with Raducanu dropping all charges.
Both Littler and Raducanu know what it’s like to be young prodigies thrown into the spotlight, with the pair both in their teenage years when they burst onto the sporting scene.
And in the wake of this week’s stalker incident involving Raducanu, Littler has spoken about what it’s like to deal with fanatics – be that supporters or otherwise.
Speaking to The Daily Mirror, the reigning world champion said: “Obviously the fans wait for us. They find out every hotel that we stay at.
“They want pictures and stuff like that, but when you’re getting stalked and followed, that’s just hitting a different level to be honest.
“Players and everyone, they will get pictures. We all know we can’t take pictures with everyone, but I think following people, it’s a different level.”
Raducanu has previously commented on Littler’s emergence in the world darts.
Speaking after the teen was crowned world champion earlier this year, she said: “Amazing respect to him. Big time [interested in meeting Littler]. I’d love to meet any top athletes and top individuals who have succeeded in their fields.
“I think darts is such a precision sport that I’d be so keen and interested to hear things that he had to say about it, and [how to] stay focused, because you can be so close but not necessarily execute the final shot. In that sense, it’s quite similar to tennis.”
Raducanu took to social media in the aftermath of the affair, thanking her fans for their support and speaking of her pride after returning to the court to complete the match.
The 2021 US Open winner lost 6-7 (6-8), 4-6 to Muchova in Dubai.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk