Dubai police have detained a man who caused Emma Raducanu distress by exhibiting “fixated behaviour” towards the British star at a tennis tournament.
The 22-year-old Raducanu had been approached at the Dubai Championships by a man who left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress, the government of Dubai’s media office said on Thursday.
The 2021 US Open champion then saw the man in the stands during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova on Tuesday night. At one point she was in tears and stood behind the umpire’s chair.
The government’s statement described the unidentified man only as “a tourist.”
“The individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments,” Dubai’s media office said in the statement.
“Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate.”
On Wednesday, Raducanu thanked those who supported her and said she would be OK.
She, somewhat surprisingly, decided to drop the charges.
During the unscheduled break in Tuesday’s match, Muchova walked over to offer Raducanu support.
Raducanu, who was still a teenager in 2022 when a man in Britain was convicted of stalking her, returned to play and eventually lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 to Muchova.
The day after the match, the WTA issued a statement explaining that Raducanu was approached in a public space Monday “by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour” and “this same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match.”
He was subsequently ejected from the venue and banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
Raducanu won the US Open as a qualifier in one of the sport’s most astounding performances but has struggled with injuries since.
– With AP
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