Emma Raducanu collapsed on Tuesday night in Dubai after encountering a stalker in the stands of the 1000 category tournament being held in the emirate. The British tennis player burst into tears with a score of 0-2 in the first set of her match with Czech Karolina Muchova
The individual, as the WTA later confirmed, had approached Raducanu during Monday’s match after Emma’s victory in the opening round against Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Stadium security removed him from the grounds after the tennis player informed the chair umpire of the situation with gestures of desperation and leaning on the support of her chair. The match, interrupted by rain, was scheduled on court 2 and ended with Muchova’s victory, 7-6(6), 6-4
The identity of the stalker will be distributed throughout all women’s tournaments so that he is banned from entering. The WTA issued a statement saying it was “working closely with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide her with the necessary support.”
1-mile restraining order
Raducanu, 22 years old and ranked 61st, had received an invitation from the organization to participate in the 1000 category tournament. The former highest-paid sportswoman on the planet, after winning the 2021 US Open, has lost that status to American Coco Gauff. Even China’s Qinwen Zheng has been left as the face of Christian Dior to the detriment of the Briton
I feel like my freedom has been taken away, I’m constantly looking around
This is not the first time the Briton has suffered from the stalker. Between 1 November and 4 December 2021, she experienced several episodes of harassment by Amrit Magar (a former Amazon delivery driver) which led to a five-year restraining order, during which Magar was not allowed to approach the tennis player within 1.6 kilometres
The London native had turned up at least three times at Emma’s home, tampering with her property. He even left her a bouquet of roses at the entrance to her house with a note that read: “Nothing to say, you deserve love“. He drew a map of the geographical distance between his home and the one Raducanu shares with her family. “I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me, I’m looking around all the time. I don’t feel safe in my own home,” she said.
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