Emma Raducanu ‘couldn’t see the ball through tears’ and ‘could barely breathe’ during Dubai incident involving ‘fixated’ man

CNN —

British tennis star Emma Raducanu has spoken about the emotional toll of noticing what the WTA called a “fixated” man during one of her recent matches in Dubai, explaining how she “couldn’t see the ball through tears.”

Raducanu was playing in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships when the incident occurred early on in her match against Czech Republic’s Karolína Muchová, causing her to become visibly distressed and hide behind the umpire’s chair.

The Dubai government later said that the individual in question signed a formal restraining order and had been banned from future tournaments.

“I was obviously very distraught,” Raducanu told reporters on Tuesday, per Reuters. “I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish.’

“I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, ‘I need to just take a breather.’”

Raducanu managed to recover and take the first set against Muchová to a tie-break, but ultimately lost in straight sets. Two weeks on, she is now in California to play at Indian Wells, which will be her first appearance since the ordeal.

“It was a very emotional time,” said Raducanu, who was speaking to reporters for the first time about the incident. “After the match, I did break down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost.

“There was just so much emotion in the last few weeks of the events happening, and I just needed that week off to take a breather and come here. I feel a lot better.”

Raducanu plays a serve against Greece's Maria Sakkari in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Amr Alfiky/Reuters

The world No. 55 added that the same individual had been at her previous tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha before appearing in Dubai.

Raducanu told BBC Sport that the incident “could have been dealt with better,” adding that she has now taken precautions to prevent similar situations from arising.

“Since that incident, I have definitely got increased attention and greater security,” she told the BBC. “All we can do is look at what happened and react to it in a better way, in a more positive way, rather than looking back and blaming the situation.

“Now, it is being dealt with better, so for me that’s important. I’m always now very aware and not necessarily doing things on my own any more. I’m always with someone and always being watched.”

The WTA, the governing body of women’s tennis, had not been made aware of the individual following Raducanu until 24 hours after he had approached the 22-year-old in a public area in Dubai.

After the second-round match, the WTA released a statement saying that the man was displaying “fixated behavior” and had been ejected from the tournament.

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the statement said.

“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.”

CNN has contacted the Dubai Tennis Championships for comment.

In her first match since the incident, Raducanu will face Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in Indian Wells on Thursday. She could then face American third seed Coco Gauff, a fellow former US Open champion, in the second round.

“I’m very happy to be in Indian Wells, it’s my favorite tournament outside of the slams,” Raducanu said. “Being here, I feel a lot better. I wasn’t necessarily sure if I was going to come and compete so soon after what happened in Dubai, but I’m glad I made the decision to come here and I’m loving being here. I’m happy on the court.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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