logo
Emma Raducanu: I'm ‘wary' when going out after stalker ordeal in Dubai

Emma Raducanu: I'm ‘wary' when going out after stalker ordeal in Dubai

Glasgow Times2 hours ago

The 22-year-old hid behind the umpire's chair in tears after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a 'fixated' man before and during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova in February.
At the time, Raducanu said she 'couldn't see the ball through tears' and could 'barely breathe', while she revealed now that the situation was exacerbated by her being unsettled without a full-time coach.
Emma Raducanu hoped to move on from her stalking ordeal (John Walton/PA)
While Raducanu still minds her surroundings, the 2021 US Open champion wants to move on as she approaches the grass-court season with coaches Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday in tow.
'It was difficult,' she told BBC Sport. 'It was emphasised by the fact I didn't necessarily feel certain or comfortable in my own set-up and team so it just added to the anxious feeling.
'I'm obviously wary when I go out. 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.
Emma Raducanu (right) has Nick Cavaday back on board as a coach for the grass-court season (John Walton/PA)
'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 suffered a second-round exit to Iga Swiatek at the French Open, is managing a back issue in the build-up to Wimbledon, having been hindered by persistent spasm issues for much of 2025.
She will feature in the inaugural women's Queen's Club Championships this week, where she will take on Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in the first round.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis
Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis

Rhyl Journal

time28 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis

Alcaraz and Sinner, the world's top two players, contested their first grand slam final at the French Open – and it was an all-time classic. Second seed Alcaraz came out on top after a five-hour, 29-minute marathon, the 22-year-old saving three championship points in the fourth set and winning after a tie-break in the fifth. It was Alcaraz's second Roland Garros title, his fifth at grand slams, and means he and Italian world number one Sinner have shared the last six majors. Anyone who feared men's tennis would struggle to fill the void left by the retirements of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and – in the not-too-distant future – Novak Djokovic, can rest easy. 'For the sport it's something amazing to have these players after Roger and Rafa – and Novak is still playing, of course – but this kind of rivalry that they have,' said former world number one Ferrero. 'Having these two guys fighting for big trophies, I think we have to be very happy about it in the sport of tennis. 'For them, for sure it's something that they raise their level every time that they go on the court. 'They know they have to play unbelievable tennis to beat the other guy and it's something that is going to help for sure each player to raise the level even more.' Curiously, Alcaraz won major title number five at exactly the same age as his idol Nadal was when he won his fifth, in 2008 at Wimbledon; 22 years, one month and three days. Nadal, of course, went on to collect 22 grand slam crowns including 14 at Roland Garros, and was honoured at this year's tournament following his retirement. Legacy 👑 #RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025 The coincidence was not lost on Ferrero, although he was keen to avoid too many comparisons between his fellow Spaniards. 'I think it's amazing,' added Ferrero. 'The same grand slams at the same age at the same day, it's something that looks unreal. 'It's something very curious. But we don't think too much about it. We try to write his own way.'

US Open faces same nightmare for golfers as USPGA after Scheffler frustration
US Open faces same nightmare for golfers as USPGA after Scheffler frustration

Daily Mirror

time33 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

US Open faces same nightmare for golfers as USPGA after Scheffler frustration

The US Open lands at Oakmont Country Club later this week, but the course could be hit by adverse weather conditions which proved problematic for pros at the PGA Championship and the Masters The US Open is gearing up for weather woes similar to those that disrupted the Masters and PGA Championship earlier this year, with concerns looming as the tournament approaches at Oakmont Country Club later this week. Rory McIlroy ended his major drought in style at Augusta earlier this year, clinching the Masters and rounding off his career Grand Slam. Scottie Scheffler continued his winning streak a month later by securing victory at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, adding a third major title to his 2022 and 2024 Masters triumphs. However, both the Masters and the PGA Championship were marred by adverse weather conditions, leading to dreaded mud balls - a golfer's nightmare. ‌ After his third round at Augusta in April, Jordan Spieth criticised the conditions for impacting his ball's trajectory and rotation. He said: "My iron play killed me the last two days and to be brutally honest with you, it was primarily mud balls. ‌ "It's just so frustrating because you can't talk about them here. You're not supposed to talk about them. Mud balls can affect this tournament significantly, especially when you get them a lot on 11 and 13. They're just daggers on those two holes." Rain once again played havoc at the PGA Championship, and while the forecast for the upcoming US Open looks hopeful, inclement weather this weekend and possible early-week showers in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, might thrust the issue of mud balls back into the spotlight, reports the Mirror US. Golfers were left in the rough after 'preferred lies' were disallowed by the PGA of America at a recent event, and it seems the US Open will follow suit. Last month's USPGA winner, Scheffler, joined Spieth in sharing his chagrin with the ruling, saying: "I mean, I don't make the rules. "I think when you're looking at the most authentic forms of golf, like when you're going to play links golf, there's no reason at all to play the ball on a link golf course. It doesn't matter how much rain falls. "The course could be flooded with water, and somehow the ball is still going to bounce because of the way the turf is and the ground underneath. In American golf it's significantly different. ‌ "When you have overseeded fairways that are not sand capped, there's going to be a lot of mud on the ball, and that's just part of it. When you think about the purest test of golf, I don't personally think that hitting the ball in the middle of the fairway you should get punished for. "On a golf course as good of conditioned as this one is, this is probably a situation in which it would be the least likely difference in playing it up because most of the lies you get out here are all really good. So I understand how a golf purist would be, 'Oh, play it as it lies.'" ‌ Xander Schauffele also discussed the frustration of dealing with mud balls at the PGA Championship, adding: "All of us. I'm not the only guy. "I'm just in front of the camera. I wouldn't want to go in the locker room because I'm sure a lot of guys aren't super happy with sort of the conditions there. "I feel like the grass is so good, there is no real advantage to cleaning your ball in the fairway. The course is completely tipped out. It sucks that you're kind of 50/50 once you hit the fairway. "It's just wherever it ends up on the ball. I got lucky three or four holes in a row where it ended up sort of on the top of my ball and then you're kind of guessing how much spin it's going to take off."

Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis
Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis

North Wales Chronicle

timean hour ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis

Alcaraz and Sinner, the world's top two players, contested their first grand slam final at the French Open – and it was an all-time classic. Second seed Alcaraz came out on top after a five-hour, 29-minute marathon, the 22-year-old saving three championship points in the fourth set and winning after a tie-break in the fifth. It was Alcaraz's second Roland Garros title, his fifth at grand slams, and means he and Italian world number one Sinner have shared the last six majors. Anyone who feared men's tennis would struggle to fill the void left by the retirements of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and – in the not-too-distant future – Novak Djokovic, can rest easy. 'For the sport it's something amazing to have these players after Roger and Rafa – and Novak is still playing, of course – but this kind of rivalry that they have,' said former world number one Ferrero. 'Having these two guys fighting for big trophies, I think we have to be very happy about it in the sport of tennis. 'For them, for sure it's something that they raise their level every time that they go on the court. 'They know they have to play unbelievable tennis to beat the other guy and it's something that is going to help for sure each player to raise the level even more.' Curiously, Alcaraz won major title number five at exactly the same age as his idol Nadal was when he won his fifth, in 2008 at Wimbledon; 22 years, one month and three days. Nadal, of course, went on to collect 22 grand slam crowns including 14 at Roland Garros, and was honoured at this year's tournament following his retirement. Legacy 👑 #RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025 The coincidence was not lost on Ferrero, although he was keen to avoid too many comparisons between his fellow Spaniards. 'I think it's amazing,' added Ferrero. 'The same grand slams at the same age at the same day, it's something that looks unreal. 'It's something very curious. But we don't think too much about it. We try to write his own way.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store