By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Emma Raducanu’s tears stemmed from fears.
Yesterday, Raducanu broke down in tears during her second-round match with Karolina Muchova in Dubai.
An emotional Raducanu stopped play after two games, spoke briefly to the chair umpire, and shed tears as she took refuge out of sight behind the umpire’s chair.
It was a bizarre moment that led to Muchova consoling the 22-year-old Raducanu before play finally resumed. Muchova eventually scored a 7-6(6), 6-4 victory.
Today, the WTA announced a male fan who “exhibited fixated behavior” toward Raducanu was ejected from that match and subsequently banned from all WTA events “pending a threat assessment.”
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…
— wta (@WTA) February 19, 2025
“On Monday, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior,” the WTA said in a statement today. “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.
“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
“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.”
You can understand why Raducanu grew emotional spotting the “fixated” man.
Below, see footage of Raducanu’s interlude after the second game:
here is the situation 🙁 https://t.co/z4Vl23j9DL pic.twitter.com/2C4K2oAEgC
— Lisa 🧚🏻♀️ (@lisa_talking) February 18, 2025
To her credit, Raducanu regained her composure after the man was ejected and pushed the 14th-seeded Muchova in two tight sets.
