Emma Raducanu has broken her silence following a distressing incident at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she was targeted by a man displaying "fixated behaviour".
The British tennis star was visibly shaken just two games into her second-round match against Karolina Muchova, seeking refuge behind the umpire's chair as she alerted officials to the situation.
© GettyThe Women's Tennis Association (WTA) later confirmed that the 22-year-old player had been approached by the same individual on Monday, and he was again spotted sitting in the front rows of her match on Tuesday.
The situation was swiftly handled, with security removing the individual from Court Three.
© Getty ImagesDespite the unsettling ordeal, Emma displayed remarkable resilience, returning to the court to compete against 14th-seed Karolina, who offered her support during the incident.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday night, Emma addressed her fans as she thanked them for all their supportive messages.
"Thank you for the messages of support," she wrote. "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.
© Instagram"Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."
This is not the first time Emma has been the target of unsettling behaviour. In 2022, a man who walked 23 miles to her London home was given a five-year restraining order after leaving unwanted gifts on her doorstep.
© Getty ImagesThe WTA also responded, reinforcing its commitment to player safety. In a statement, they said: "Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.
"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."
