Raducanu 'couldn't see ball through tears' in stalking incident
March 06, 2025 00:00:00
INDIAN WELLS, Calif., Mar 05 (AP): Emma Raducanu says she "couldn't see the ball through tears" and struggled to breathe after spotting a man who was "fixated" on her during a match.
The British tennis player and 2021 U.S. Open winner was left distressed during a match at last month's Dubai Championships by the presence of the man in the stand.
The man, who had already approached Raducanu earlier in the tournament, was ejected from the arena after she spoke to the chair umpire during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova. He was later detained by Dubai police and signed a document pledging to "maintain distance" from Raducanu. The WTA said he had "exhibited fixated behavior."
"I was obviously very distraught," Raducanu told British reporters at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, her first tournament since the incident.