By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Thursday, February 20, 2025
In a troubling turn of events, authorities in Dubai have detained a male tourist accused of displaying stalking behavior towards renowned tennis player Emma Raducanu, which left her visibly shaken.
During her second-round match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a distressed Raducanu halted play early, reportedly recognizing her stalker in the audience. Overcome with emotion, she sought solace behind the umpire’s chair as tears streamed down her face.
In an official statement today, the Dubai Media Office confirmed that the male tourist, whose identity remains undisclosed, has been detained.
Recent social media updates revealed that the man approached Raducanu, took her picture, and left her an unsettling note, which he followed with appearances at her initial two matches in Dubai.
Dubai authorities have responded swiftly to the incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in line with local legal procedures. Following her complaint, the Dubai Police apprehended a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and…
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 20, 2025
“In response to Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police took action against a tourist whose behavior caused her distress during the tournament,” stated the Dubai Media Office.
Interestingly, Raducanu has decided to drop charges against the man, who has now agreed to maintain a safe distance from her and faces a ban from future matches, as confirmed by local authorities.
This announcement follows a day after the WTA took action against another male fan who was removed from the same match for exhibiting fixated behavior towards Raducanu, leading to a suspension from all WTA events pending a thorough threat assessment.
WTA issues a statement regarding the security incident in Dubai:
On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior. This same individual was later identified in the front rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis…
— wta (@WTA) February 19, 2025
“On Monday, Emma Raducanu was approached by a man exhibiting fixated behavior, who was subsequently recognized in the first few rows during her match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and ejected.
“This individual will face a ban from all WTA events pending a threat assessment. The WTA is actively coordinating with Emma and her team to support her wellbeing and ensure her safety. Our commitment remains strong in collaborating with tournament organizers and security personnel globally to foster a safe playing environment for all athletes.”
Under these distressing circumstances, it’s understandable that Raducanu exhibited emotional turmoil upon encountering the man.
Check out the footage capturing Raducanu’s emotional moment after the second game:
here is the situation 🙁 https://t.co/z4Vl23j9DL pic.twitter.com/2C4K2oAEgC
— Lisa 🧚🏻♀️ (@lisa_talking) February 18, 2025
Despite the emotional upheaval, Raducanu displayed remarkable resilience, regaining her composure to deliver a competitive performance against the 14th-seeded Muchova.
