Tennis Champ Breaks Down on Court After Spotting Stalker

CREEPY COURTSHIP

The 22-year-old former U.S. Open winner feared for her safety after spotting a “fixated” fan.


Kenneal Patterson


Amr Alfiky/ REUTERS

A man in Dubai was banned from all Women’s Tennis Association matches Tuesday after exhibiting obsessive behavior toward former U.S. Open Champion Emma Raducanu.

“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,” she later said in an Instagram story.

The tennis star was playing against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships when she recognized the fan sitting in the first few rows. She had encountered him the day prior during another strange encounter and was left frightened of his “fixated” behavior.

Fearing for her safety, 22-year-old Raducanu broke down in tears and sought refuge behind the umpire’s chair in order to compose herself.

It isn’t the first time she’s dealt with obsessive fans. When Raducanu was only 19, an Amazon delivery driver stalked her London home. He left unwanted notes and flowers and stole items off her front porch. He even drew a map to showcase the 23 miles he had walked to find her.

After the threatening ordeal, Raducanu said she didn’t feel safe in her own home. She was afraid to go outside and kept constantly looking over her shoulder. In Feb. 2022, the 35-year-old man was given a five-year restraining order.

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Throughout history, prominent female tennis players have faced similar risks. In 1993, former world No. 1 Monica Seles was stabbed in Hamburg. She was 19 at the time. Her attacker thrust a knife into her back in the hopes of returning Seles’ rival, Steffi Graf, to the top ranking.

Martina Hingis, also a former world No. 1, had to hire a bodyguard after being stalked in 2000. When her pursuer was put in jail, she said that many female tennis players come up against strange individuals.

Over the years, many of these women have come forward to expose similar experiences. Sloane Stephens, a former U.S. Open winner, said she was sent thousands of unwelcome letters. Stalkers have continuously trailed Serena Williams, both at competitions and at her own home. There are dozens of others who have spoken out about the perils of being a high-profile female player.

Rula Rouhana/Rula Rouhana/ REUTERS

Tennis champs aren’t the only ones in danger, either. A 2024 report from the U.K.‘s Office for National Statistics showed revealed that after turning 16, one in five women will have been stalked at some point.

After Raducanu’s stalker was removed from the grounds, she returned to play but later lost the match. The final score was 7-6 (6), 6-4.