Emma Raducanu issues response after stalker's attempt to buy Wimbledon tickets
Emma Raducanu has issued a response after her stalker was caught trying to buy Wimbledon tickets four months after his restraining order.
The British star, 22, was approached by a fixated man at the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this year – including when she was alone in a public café – where she was handed a personal letter and photographed.
Raducanu then spotted the same individual in the crowd during her match against Karolina Muchova, which resulted in Raducanu breaking down in tears and hiding behind the umpire's chair before he was kicked out.
The stalker was handed a restraining order and Raducanu then decided to travel with a larger security team due to concerns over her safety.
It was thought the incident was over until the stalker was recently caught trying to buy tickets for Wimbledon, which gets underway on June 30.
The All England Club's security measures spotted the man had been red-flagged and blocked his attempt to enter the Wimbledon public ballot.
'Wimbledon and everyone did an amazing job,' Raducanu told the BBC on Monday.
'I got a notification, the police contacted me and told me everything was OK.
'I know that I am not the first athlete to go through this, and I probably won't be the last – not just as an athlete, but females in general.'
Raducanu says she feels 'more comfortable' at tournaments since beefing up her security team.
'I've had great protection whenever I have been at these events recently,' she added.
'I have a lot more protection around me – especially the ones here in the UK, where it's busy and there's more spectators around.
'I feel a difference, and that reassures me and makes me feel more comfortable.'
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Speaking in March, Raducanu opened up about the horror of being targeted by the stalker, sharing terrifying details about the incident. More Trending
'I was obviously very distraught,' Raducanu said about the moment she saw the man in the crowd in Dubai. 'I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, I don't know how I'm going to finish. I literally couldn't see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe.
'It was a very emotional time. After the match I did break down in tears.
'There were two instances [before I saw him in the crowd] and it was the second one that I just got freaked out by because the first one was more like a normal fan approaching you.
'He watched me in the coffee shop for a while. The second incident was really worrying.'
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