Emma Raducanu was just two games into her match against Karolina Muchova in Dubai when she burst into tears and hid behind the umpire’s chair in a worrying incident.
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The 2021 US Open champion appeared panicked as she approached the umpire at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Raducanu had conceded an early break during the second round match when the visibly distraught star stopped play.
She was in such distress that Muchova came to her side to console her, while the umpire was seen radioing a message.
“Unfortunately we cannot hear what is going on, but it doesn’t look good … for Raducanu,” commentator Candy Reid said.
“(She) appears to be in tears here and this is very, very concerning. Something has happened and I am not sure what it is.
“You never want to see a player in tears on court; this is meant to be a fun game.”
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Raducanu was eventually seen wiping her eyes with a towel before carrying on with the match.
On Wednesday, the WTA released a statement confirming a man who showed “fixated behaviour” towards Raducanu had been banned from all WTA events.
“Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior,” the statement read.
“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.
“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. 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.”
Raducanu recently split from coach Nick Cavaday due to his health concerns, while she’s been targetted by a stalker who was given a five-year restraining order in 2022.
The 22-year-old rallied from the early break to force a first set tiebreaker, but narrowly lost it before losing the match 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
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