Emma Raducanu says she was 'very distraught' after stalker incident in Dubai: 'I could barely breathe'

Yahoo

05-03-2025

Two weeks after a scary incident with an alleged stalker at the Dubai Tennis Championship, Emma Raducanu is back on the court. The 22-year-old British tennis star and 2021 US Open Champion opened up about the experience ahead of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.
"I was obviously very distraught," Raducanu told reporters on Tueday, via USA Today. "I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, 'I don't know how I'm going to finish.'"
Early in her Round of 32 matchup against Karolína Muchová, Raducanu, who had noticed a man who had been allegedly following her in Dubai, approached the chair umpire. Raducanu had seen the man multiple times throughout that week, and the man had even personally handed the tennis player a letter at her hotel.
"I literally couldn't see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, 'I need to just take a breather," Raducanu said on Tuesday.
The alleged stalker was removed from the arena. The game continued, but Raducanu lost to Muchová in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.
Police later detained the man. Although Raducanu later decided to drop the charges, the man signed a restraining order. The WTA said that the man, who it said "exhibited fixated behavior," will be banned from future WTA events.
After the incident, Raducanu took a week off from the tour before traveling to Indian Wells.
"It was a very emotional time," Raducanu said Tuesday. "After the match I did break down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost. There was just so much emotion in the last few weeks of the events happening, and I just needed that week off to take a breather and come here. I feel a lot better."
Raducanu has dealt with stalker behavior before. A few months after her US Open win, a 35-year-old man appeared at her house multiple times, and was later given a five-year restraining order and community service.
Raducanu's first matchup of Indian Wells takes place on Thursday, against Japan's Moyuka Uchijima.