The scenes involving a tearful Emma Raducanu at the Dubai tennis championships must give pause for thought about the terrifying ordeals faced by women sports stars. Raducanu broke down in tears just two games into a second-round match against her opponent Karolina Muchova. The match had to be stopped after the former British No. 1 appeared to visibly panic, then began to cry, before approaching the umpire to ask for help.
In remarkable scenes, Raducanu then appeared to cower behind the umpire’s chair while a ‘fixated’ man was removed from the crowd. She was comforted during this time by the umpire and Muchova before play could resume.
Plenty of other women tennis stars have spoken publicly about the dangers of stalkers
It has now been revealed that on Monday – the day before the match – Raducanu, who has in the recent past attracted the attention of stalkers, had been approached in a public area by a man who exhibited what was described as ‘fixated behaviour’. The same individual was identified seated in the front rows when Raducanu’s second-round match got underway. There have also been reports that the tennis star was approached at her hotel on Monday by a stranger who wanted to give her a letter.
This form of unwanted and unwarranted attention is unfortunately becoming the norm for many elite women athletes. Obsessive ‘fans’ routinely watch their every move, and try to accost them in public spaces or while travelling to tournaments. Raducanu, a global superstar from the age of 18, attracts more attention than most.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) issued a statement confirming that the man was removed from the arena and will be banned from all future WTA events, pending a ‘threat assessment’. The association said: ‘Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.’
Raducanu, who is now back home in the UK, posted a statement on social media thanking people for their messages of support, adding: ‘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.’ It is certainly the case that she showed remarkable fortitude and resilience in going on to finish the match, which she eventually lost 7-6, 6-4. Few would have blamed her if she had abandoned it altogether after what had happened. She remains a fierce competitor to the last, as is to be expected from an elite athlete.
The tennis star’s experience in Dubai has highlighted once again the broader issues around safety that female tennis players, in particular, can face. Raducanu has been targeted before. A man was found guilty in 2022 of stalking the star after visiting her home on three separate occasions and leaving unwanted gifts and flowers. He received a five-year restraining order. Raducanu later admitted that the experience had left her constantly ‘looking over her shoulder’ and feeling as if her ‘freedom had been taken away’. Much has been made in recent years of the 22-year-old’s failure to reach the triumphant heights she managed at the US Open but the scenes in Dubai prompt the question: how is someone so young expected to cope with such safety worries yet somehow block everything out when a tournament begins?
Plenty of other women tennis stars have spoken publicly about the dangers of stalkers following them around, either in person or through social media. The current British No. 1 Katie Boulter revealed last year that she had been followed a number of times. On one occasion, a stalker followed her while she was out with her boyfriend. The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, were also targeted by stalkers. The most shocking stalker incident of all saw Monica Seles stabbed by a man fixated on her rival Steffi Graf during a match in 1993. Her attacker, Gunter Parche, walked on to court and plunged a knife between her shoulder blades. He told police he did so because he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone beating Graf.
The latest disturbing incident involving Raducanu demonstrates all too well that the threat to tennis players is real enough. It is still far too easy to get close to players at some of the smaller events on the tennis tour. The warning lights are flashing red.
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