Emma Raducanu: Man given restraining order after approaching Brit with 'fixated behaviour' before match
20 February 2025, 15:44 | Updated: 21 February 2025, 06:08
A man has been given a restraining order after approaching Emma Raducanu with 'fixated behaviour' before her match in Dubai.
A statement from Dubai Police read: "Following Raducanu's complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress.
"While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments."
Raducanu approached the umpire's chair in tears just two games into her second-round defeat to Karolina Muchova on Tuesday, before the individual in question was subsequently ejected from the court by security and banned from all future WTA events "pending a threat assessment".
The former US Open champion took to Instagram on Wednesday to thank fans and Muchova for their support following the incident.
"Difficult experience yesterday but I'll be OK and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match," she posted.
"Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) later released a statement insisting player safety is their "top priority" and that they would be working with Raducanu and her team to ensure she receives all the support she may require.
A spokesperson for the Lawn Tennis Association also told Sky Sports News. "This incident once again highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face.
"We have support available for British players and have been in contact with Emma and her team following the events in Dubai. We have extensive security arrangements at our events in Britain and keep these under constant review.
"The tours have strong processes in place already and we will continue to work together along with police and security providers to deal with situations like this robustly."
The incident came three years on from a man being handed a five-year restraining order after walking 23 miles to Raducanu's London home.
Smith 'horrified' at Raducanu incident
Former British No 1 Sam Smith on Sky Sports News:
"I was horrified.
"Credit to Emma. You would never know what she had been through with the way she was playing and competing. I don't know how she did that.
"Emma had the presence of mind to stop, talk to the umpire. It looked as if the tournament reacted very quickly, so did the WTA and the person was removed very quickly.
"They did everything they could possibly do to make sure Emma was as protected as possible, certainly in a physical sense, but psychologically it was difficult for her to continue and play the match.
"I've never experienced it myself but even for a minor incident in the crowd, for example if someone is unwell or there's a disturbance, it can be hard.
"Tennis players are trained to switch on and off but I don't think anyone is built psychologically to cope with what Emma had to cope with in Dubai, and having to get over that in future matches.
"The WTA and ATP Tours will double down on looking at their protocols, which worked pretty well, but they absolutely prioritise player safety and wellbeing. They will look at whether they can take it to another level and I think they might have to."
Overend: Security paramount - and we need empathy for Raducanu
Sky Sports Tennis' Jonathan Overend:
"It was distressing to see, particularly when Raducanu was cowering behind the umpire's chair, and I think it highlights three things.
"First and foremost, the safeguarding and security, which is absolutely paramount, and secondly the resilience of Raducanu to complete the match. I find it remarkable she made the match close. It was an incredible effort.
"I also think it highlights the need for empathy when we are talking about athletes who sadly have to deal with this sort of thing in their personal lives.
"With Raducanu, the talk is about, 'why hasn't she won another major championship?' Well, look at scenes like this and the social media abuse.
"We see a lot of tennis on the stadium courts with security on every entrance. That is not the reality around tournaments with multiple courts, some very small with just a bench on either side of the fence.
"It is possible to get very close to individuals, not just in matches but as they manoeuvre around. There is obviously security in place but it always needs to be reassessed and at the forefront of everyone's minds.
"You can add on the daily social media stalking. The WTA talks about 'fixated behaviour' and that is impactful to these athletes as well."
Dubai tournament organisers added: "The tournament security team worked in collaboration with the WTA security team to proactively identify and immediately eject the individual in question from the stadium.
"We support the WTA's decision to ban the individual in question from all WTA events and share the Tour's longstanding commitment to player welfare, safety and wellbeing."
(c) Sky Sports 2025: Emma Raducanu: Man given restraining order after approaching Brit with 'fixated behaviour' before match
