What Tennis Fan Showing 'Fixated Behaviour' Actually Did to Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu was in tears after being targeted by a man who showed "fixated behaviour" at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The former US Open champion went over to the umpire's chair during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova to alert the official of a man in the stands who the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement "exhibited fixated behaviour" towards Raducanu on Monday in a public area.

MailSport reported that the "fixated behaviour" refers to the man coming up to Raducanu in her hotel and handing her a letter a day before her match. Once he was then spotted in the crowd by the Brit, she became emotional and wanted him removed from the premises immediately.

WTA said in their statement that the man was ejected from the stadium and is banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment. No details of the man's identity have been revealed as of writing this article.

Statements Released After Emma Raducanu Incident

Both the player herself and organisations have released statements regarding the matter

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Raducanu took to Instagram on Wednesday and said: "Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday, but I'll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match. Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."

The Brit returned to the match after the incident, but was defeated by Muchova in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.

Emma Raducanu's best Grand Slam results Tournament Best result Year Australian Open R3 2025 French Open R2 2022 Wimbledon R4 2021, 2024 US Open Winner 2021

The WTA said: "Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support. We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players."

Related Why Emma Raducanu Broke Down in Tears at Dubai Open Tennis A tearful Raducanu spoke to the umpire in the early stages of the match...

In 2022, Raducanu was targeted by a man who was given a five-year restraining order after he travelled 23 miles by foot to her home in London.

The governing body for tennis in Great Britain, the Lawn Tennis Association, who had been in contact with Emma and her team in Dubai, said: "This incident once again highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face. The tours have strong processes in place already and we will continue to work together along with police and security providers to deal with situations like this robustly."

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