A man was expelled from the Dubai tennis championship on Tuesday after exhibiting the “fixed behavior” towards the British tennis star Emma Raducanu, said the Women’s Tennis Association.
The man approached Raducanu, 22, in a public area on Monday before appearing in the first ranks of the Raducanu second round match against Czech player Karolina Muchva on Tuesday, the WTA said in a statement.
Raducanu broke in tears at the beginning of the game before approaching the referee, seeing to explain the situation and hid behind the referee’s chair.
The man was withdrawn from the game and will be forbidden from all the events of the WTA “waiting for an evaluation of threats,” said the WTA.
“The safety of players is our highest priority, and tournaments are recommended on best security practices for international sporting events,” said the association. “The WTA is actively working with Emma and its team to guarantee your well -being and provide any necessary support.
“We are still committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players,” he added.
A spokesman for the Lawn Tennis Association, the Tennis Governing Body in the United Kingdom, said in an email that has “extensive security arrangements” for its players who are “under a constant review.”
“This incident once again highlights the problems around the security that all players, but the players in particular can face,” said the spokesman. “We have support available for British players and we have been in contact with Emma and their team after the events in Dubai”
On Wednesday, Raducanu turned to his Instagram story to thank fans for the “messages of support.” He also thanked a lot for being a “great sport” and wished him luck in the rest of the tournament.
“Difficult experience yesterday, but I will be well and proud of how I returned and competed despite what happened at the beginning of the game,” Raducanu wrote.
The incident on Tuesday night was not Raducanu’s first worrying encounter with a fan.
In 2022, a man was convicted of harassing Raducanu after he appeared at his home on three separate occasions and left unwanted gifts and flowers. He received a five -year restriction order.
Raducanu went up to global stardom when he won the US Open in 2021 at age 18. He has accumulated more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram; He collected sponsorships with luxury brands, including Tiffany & Co., Dior and Porsche; and attended the Met gala.
Raducanu lost the game on Tuesday, 7-6 (6), 6-4. She is classified as the 61 best women’s individual players in the world, according to the WTA.
