Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Sport, World News
Joshua Nair
A man has been issued a restraining order after he approached tennis star Emma Raducanu, displaying 'fixated behaviour' prior to her match in Dubai, UAE.
Dubai police said in an official statement: "Following Raducanu's complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress.
"While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments."
Raducanu was in the middle of a rain-delayed match with Czech opponent Karolina Muchová on Tuesday (18 February), when play stopped with the British tennis player in clear distress.
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The 22-year-old could be seen speaking with umpire Miriam Bley before hiding behind the umpire's chair after just two games, as Bley used walkie-talkies to communicate with other officials that removed the man from the court.
The WTA released a statement following the incident, saying: "On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.
"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.
"Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.
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"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 Dubai Tennis Championships said they 'fully support' the decision to ban the man from all WTA events.
Taking to Instagram, Raducanu said: “Thank you for the messages of support,
“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.”