Emma Raducanu revealed that she struggled to see the ball and had difficulty breathing after noticing a man who appeared “fixated” on her during a match.
The British tennis star and 2021 U.S. Open champion was deeply unsettled during her match at the Dubai Championships last month due to the man’s presence in the stands.
The individual had previously approached Raducanu earlier in the tournament. During her second-round match against Karolina Muchova, she alerted the chair umpire, leading to his removal from the arena. Dubai police later detained him, and he signed a document agreeing to keep his distance from her. The WTA described his behavior as “fixated.”
“I was obviously very distraught,” Raducanu shared with British reporters at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, her first tournament since the incident.
“I saw him in the first game and thought, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish.’ I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I just needed to take a moment to recover.”
After the man was removed from the arena, Raducanu managed to regroup and continue playing but ultimately lost the match 7-6, 6-4.
“It was a very emotional time,” Raducanu admitted. “After the match, I broke down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost.”
She told the BBC that the situation “could have been dealt with better” but noted that security measures have since been improved.
“I’m now always very aware and not necessarily doing things alone anymore. I always have someone with me and am always being watched,” she said.
In 2022, an obsessive fan received a restraining order after showing up at Raducanu’s home three times.
Raducanu is set to face Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, ranked 52nd in the world, in the first round in California on Thursday. The winner will move on to play third-seeded Coco Gauff, as the top 32 players receive byes into the second round.
