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Emma Raducanu has opened up about the controversial stalker incident during her second-round match at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships against Karolina Muchova. The incident left the Brit in tears as she hid behind the umpire's chair in panic.
Raducanu accepted a wildcard for the WTA 1000 in Dubai and kicked off her campaign with a statement 6-4, 6-2 win over Maria Sakkari. Unfortunately for the Brit, she fell to the dynamic Karolina Muchova in the second round (6)6-7, 4-6, bringing an end to her campaign. However, a shocking incident occurred in the opening set of the match.
The Czech led Raducanu 2-0 in the opening set when the latter went over to the chair umpire and following a small conversation, she hid behind the chair and was seen panicking and tearing up. Concerns were further raised when a spectator narrated the incident on social media.
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The WTA then released a statement on social media, which shockingly revealed that Emma Raducanu was approached in public by a male stranger, exhibiting 'fixated behavior'.
"WTA statement on the security incident in Dubai: On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior. This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected."
Emma Raducanu has finally broken her silence by addressing the controversial incident on her Instagram stories alongside a picture of her coffee and Jane Austen's novel Emma. She gave a special mention to her opponent Karolina Muchova, who comforted her while she was distressed.
"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 WTA is actively working with Emma Raducanu and her team" - WTA assures the safety of the Brit as its top priority
In its statement, the WTA ensured that the man in question would be 'banned' from attending any event on the tour.
"He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment. Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events," the WTA statement continued.
The tour also assured that Emma Raducanu's safety was its top priority and they were doing their best to provide a safe environment for the players.
"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."
Unfortunately for Raducanu, this is not the first time she has found herself in such a devastating situation.
She will look to shake her mind off this incident and shift her focus to the upcoming Sunshine Double, where she will look to make a positive leap.
