Emma Raducanu was focused by a person who “exhibited fixated behaviour” throughout her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova on the Dubai Tennis Championships, the WTA stated.
An emotional Raducanu, 22, was seen hiding behind the umpire’s chair two video games into the defeat by Muchova.
“On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public space by a person who exhibited fixated behaviour,” stated the Girls’s Tennis Affiliation (WTA).
“This similar particular person was recognized within the first few rows throughout Emma’s match on Tuesday and subsequently ejected.”
The person has been banned from all WTA occasions, “pending a menace evaluation”.
Raducanu alerted the chair umpire to the state of affairs and was comforted by 14th seed Muchova as the person was faraway from courtroom three.
The Briton returned to the courtroom to applause from the group and continued taking part in, however fell to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.
On Wednesday, Raducanu posted on Instagram: “Thanks for the messages of help. Troublesome expertise yesterday however I will be okay and happy with how I got here again and competed regardless of what occurred initially of the match.
“Thanks to Karolina for being an incredible sport and better of luck to her for the remainder of the match.”
In 2022, a person who walked 23 miles to the London residence of Raducanu was given a five-year restraining order.
The WTA stated: “Participant security is our high precedence, and tournaments are suggested on safety finest practices for worldwide sporting occasions.
“The WTA is actively working with Emma and her group to make sure her well-being and supply any needed help.
“We stay dedicated to collaborating with tournaments and their safety groups worldwide to keep up a secure atmosphere for all gamers.”
The Dubai Tennis Championships stated it “absolutely supported” the WTA’s assertion, and subsequent motion taken by the governing physique of the ladies’s sport.
“The match safety group labored in collaboration with the WTA safety group to proactively establish and instantly eject the person in query from the stadium,” stated match organisers.
“We help the WTA’s choice to ban the person in query from all WTA occasions, and share the tour’s longstanding dedication to participant welfare, security and wellbeing.
“We thank Emma for her contribution to this yr’s match and sit up for welcoming her again subsequent yr.”
British governing physique the Garden Tennis Affiliation (LTA) stated they’ve been involved with Raducanu and her group in Dubai.
“This incident as soon as once more highlights points round security that each one gamers, however feminine gamers particularly, can face,” stated the LTA.
“The excursions have sturdy processes in place already and we’ll proceed to work collectively together with police and safety suppliers to cope with conditions like this robustly.”
