Emma Raducanu, winner of the 2021 US Open, admitted that she no longer hides after being repeatedly harassed by a man earlier this year.
Raducanu, currently ranked 29th in the world, broke down in tears during a match at the Dubai tournament in February when she saw a man who had harassed her on other occasions – the day before he had given her a letter and a photo in a cafe – in the crowd. This individual was expelled from the tournament and received a restraining order.
In an interview with the BBC, the player admitted that there are still things that bother her, such as when she sees photos in magazines and publications of her private life without realizing that there were ‘paparazzi’ following her, but that in general she is quite well. “Once I was with two friends and I didn’t see the photographers, that’s obviously weird, because you don’t know how they took those pictures, but beyond that I’m fine, because I know there’s always someone taking care of me.”
“If people see me and recognize me and want to come and say something to me, that’s great, but I don’t feel like I’m necessarily hiding anymore,” she added.
Raducanu has been struggling with a foot problem in recent months and recently pulled out of an exhibition in the United States alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Joao Fonseca and Amanda Anisimova.
As preparation for next season, Raducanu is training in Barcelona with Spaniard Francis Roig, Rafael Nadal‘s former coach.
“He wants me to focus much more on building a better Emma Raducanu and a better baseline level. It’s something I don’t think I’ve done before. I’ve always been more tactical, more trying to exploit my opponents’ weaknesses if they have them. But ideally you don’t have to think too much about the other players: you can just play and execute your game knowing that you can win,” said Raducanu.
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