Emma Raducanu left barely able to breathe by worrying incident

Wales Online

a day ago

Emma Raducanu left barely able to breathe by worrying incident
Emma Raducanu was plagued by a "fixated" stalker during her Dubai Championships campaign in February, and the British number two admits she is now "wary" when going out
Emma Raducanu hopes to move on from her stalking ordeal
(Image: PA Wire/PA Images )
British number two Emma Raducanu has spoken candidly about the distress she experienced due to a stalker incident at the Dubai Championships, which left her in tears behind the umpire's chair during her match against Karolina Muchova.
The 22 year old described how the unwanted attention from a "fixated" man both before and during her second-round match in February led to her struggling on court, saying at the time that she "couldn't see the ball through tears" and could "barely breathe".
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Raducanu also shared that the lack of a full-time coach at the time added to her unease, contributing to an overall feeling of anxiety.
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Now, with a more stable support system including coaches Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday, the 2021 US Open champion is focusing on the upcoming grass-court season while remaining cautious in public spaces.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Raducanu admitted: "It was difficult," and explained how her unsettled team dynamics heightened her anxiousness.
"I'm obviously wary when I go out.
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"I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you're in that situation and I don't necessarily want to be in that situation again."
Raducanu expressed a sense of security off the court, stating: "Off the court right now, I feel good, I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was negative, I kind of brush it off as much as I can."
Raducanu, who was knocked out in the second round by Iga Swiatek at the French Open, is grappling with a back issue ahead of Wimbledon, having been plagued by persistent spasm issues for much of 2025.
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She is set to compete in the inaugural women's Queen's Club Championships this week, where she will face Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in the opening round.
With coaches Petchey and Cavaday back in her camp she feels happier than at any point in recent years.
"[In] the last couple months I found some better form but I've also learnt about myself that I can't necessarily do it with people that I don't trust, or I don't necessarily like so, truthfully, for me that's what's improved as well in the last couple months," she said.
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"I have a pretty good gut feeling and intuition about people who I get on with, and who I trust.
"And I think sometimes I try and reason with myself because logically I'm like, 'OK, well, maybe this person can bring me this and I need it', and I try and force myself through it, but I've just realised, it doesn't work.
"And when there's a bad energy or bad environment, it just lingers."