British tennis star Emma Raducanu said she was so distraught after seeing her stalker in the stands during last month that she didn't know if she would be able to finish the the match.
The former U.S. Open champion spoke about the distressing incident at the Dubai Tennis Championships for the first time Wednesday, ahead of the Indian Wells in California, where she will return to play with enhanced security.
“I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish’,” Raducanu told reporters, according to Sky News. “I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, ‘I need to just take a breather.’”
The 22-year-old tennis player's distress was visible on camera after she spotted the man "fixated on her" during her opening match against Czech player Karolina Muchova.
She broke down in tears before approaching the umpire, where she appeared to be explaining the situation. She then hid behind the umpire’s chair while the man was escorted out by security.
When she resumed the match, she lost 7-6(6) 6-4 and took a week off before returning to the tour.
“It was a very emotional time,” Raducanu said.
“After the match, I did break down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost,” she said, adding, “There was just so much emotion in the last few weeks of the events happening, and I just needed that week off to take a breather and come here.”
Raducanu said the man had also been present during her previous matches in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
In Dubai, she was approached by the man twice off the court, including at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre the day before her match, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement.
Following the incident, Dubai Police said it had detained the “tourist” who “left [Raducanu] a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behavior that caused her distress.”
The man signed a restraining order and agreed to keep his distance from her, it added, before he returned to her match the next day.
Raducanu subsequently decided not to press charges against the man. The WTA said he had been banned from its tournaments in the future.
“The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support," the association said at the time.
It added, “Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.”
Following the incident, Raducanu thanked her fans for the “messages of support” in an Instagram story.
“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,” Raducanu wrote.
The incident in Dubai was not Raducanu’s first troubling encounter with a fan. In 2022, another man was charged with stalking and received a five-year restraining order after he showing up at the British tennis player’s home on three separate occasions and left her unwanted gifts and flowers.
Raducanu, who rose to fame after winning the 2021 U.S. Open at the age of 18, currently ranks 55 in the world rankings.
She will next play against Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of Indian Wells, with the winner to face off Coco Gauff in the third round.
“I wasn’t necessarily sure if I was going to come and compete so soon after what happened in Dubai but I’m glad I made the decision to come here," Raducanu said Wednesday, ahead of her next match.
“I feel a lot better,” she added.
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