The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has issued a statement regarding the recent incident involving Emma Raducanu at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The incident occurred during Raducanu’s second-round match against Karolina Muchova, where a man exhibiting “fixated behavior” was escorted out of the venue by security personnel.
The WTA’s statement detailed the events leading up to the incident, explaining that the same individual had approached Raducanu in a public area on Monday. During her match on Tuesday, the man was identified in the first few rows and subsequently ejected from the premises. The WTA emphasized that the individual would be banned from all future WTA events pending a threat assessment.
“On Monday, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior,” the WTA said in their statement. “This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
The WTA also assured that they are actively working with Raducanu and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support. “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,” the statement continued.
The incident left Raducanu visibly distressed, as she was seen in tears while speaking to the chair umpire during the first set. Despite the disruption, Raducanu managed to fight back from a 4-0 deficit to force a tiebreak but ultimately fell to Muchova 7-6 (6), 6-4.
This incident highlights the importance of player safety and the measures taken by the WTA to protect its athletes. The organization remains dedicated to ensuring a secure environment for all players, working closely with tournament organizers and security teams to prevent such incidents in the future.
Emma Raducanu in 2025
Ranked no.61, Raducanu played her last match on the 18th of February when she was overcome by world no.17 Karolina Muchova 7-6(6) 6-4 in the 2nd round in Dubai (draw).
This season the Brit achieved an overall 3-5 win-loss record.
