Emma Raducanu will face Japanese world No.52 Moyuka Uchijima in her first-round match at Indian Wells following the stalking incident in Dubai.
Raducanu is eager to move on from the ordeal which saw her break down in tears and hide behind the umpire’s chair during her most recent match on the WTA Tour – a straight-sets defeat to Karolina Muchova last month.
The British No.2 was left distressed when she spotted an individual in the crowd, who is alleged to have followed her over multiple countries and gave her a letter, with the man since given a restraining order and banned.
Raducanu makes her return to action on Thursday at Indian Wells – a prestigious tournament in California – where she has been offered up to five extra security guards to help her feel as safe as possible.
The 22-year-old will face American world No.3 Coco Gauff in the second round if she manages to battle past Uchijima in one of the biggest events on the tennis calendar outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Raducanu did not require a wildcard to participate at Indian Wells, with her current ranking of world No.55 enough to directly quality for the main draw.
Novak Djokovic faces possible Nick Kyrgios showdown
In the Indian Wells men’s singles, we could be set for a repeat of the 2022 Wimbledon final with Novak Djokovic on a collision course to face Nick Kyrgios.
Serbian legend Djokovic, who is being coached by Andy Murray, has received a bye to the second round and will face Kyrgios if the fiery Australian defeats a yet-to-be-named qualifier in his opening match.
Kyrgios leads the head-to-head with Djokovic 2-1 but the Aussie has lost both of his two matches on the ATP Tour so far this season as he continues his return from long-term injury problems.
Djokovic is hoping to land his sixth Indian Wells title but the 24-time major champion faces a tricky draw overall, with a possible quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz on the cards should both men progress that far.
The British are coming for teenage sensation Joao Fonseca
Joao Fonseca is hoping to continue his meteoric rise in tennis at Indian Wells after taking the sport by storm earlier this year.
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Fonseca is set for an exciting battle with rising British star Jacob Fearnley in his opening match, with both players having made headlines for their impressive performances at the Australian Open in January.
The Brazilian teenager is projected to face British No.1 Jack Draper in a mouth-watering second-round clash if he defeats Fearnley on Thursday.
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