The ‘stalker’ who targeted Emma Raducanu at the Dubai Tennis Championships has been handed a restraining order by local police.
Raducanu was in tears and in clear distress during her match on Tuesday after a spectator was removed and banned for ‘fixated behaviour’.
The British tennis star described the harassment she endured as a ‘difficult experience’ in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
According to The Telegraph, Raducanu was approached at her hotel on Monday by the same man, who handed her a letter.
Raducanu has dropped formal charges against the man but Dubai police have now confirmed that he’s been given an official restraining order.
‘We have taken swift action to address an incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in accordance with local legal protocols,’ Dubai authorities said in a statement on Thursday.
‘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.
‘Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate.’
Raducanu was in action against Czech star Karolina Muchova on Tuesday when she suddenly burst into tears and hid behind the umpire’s chair.
At the time, it was unclear why Raducanu was left so upset, with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) later providing a statement to explain what happened.
The WTA statement on Wednesday read: ‘On Monday, 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.
‘The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.
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‘We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.’
In a message to her followers on Instagram, Raducanu wrote: ‘Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience [on Tuesday] but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.
‘Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck for the rest of the tournament.’
Raducanu remarkably was able to continue and complete her match after the spectator was kicked out at the Dubai Tennis Championships, with the incident occurring early in the first set after the Briton fell 2-0 behind.
No-one would’ve blamed Raducanu for jumping on the first flight home but she played to a high level before Muchova eventually won 7-6 6-4.
The 2021 US Open champion has previously been targeted during her career, with Amrit Magar convicted of stalking and given a five-year restraining order after walking 23 miles to her home in 2022.
A court heard how Raducanu was ‘constantly looking over her shoulder’ and no longer felt ‘safe in her own home’.
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Magar, who left unwanted gifts and cards for Raducanu, also stole her father’s shoe as a souvenir.
After Raducanu was targeted in Dubai, meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said: ‘This incident once again highlights issues around safety that all players, but female players in particular, can face.
‘We have support available for British players and have been in contact with Emma and her team following the events in Dubai. We have extensive security arrangements at our events in Britain and keep these under constant review.
‘The tours have strong processes in place already and we will continue to work together along with police and security providers to deal with situations like this robustly.’
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