Emma Raducanu was focused by a person who “exhibited fixated behaviour” throughout her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova on the Dubai Tennis Championships, the WTA mentioned.
An emotional Raducanu, 22, was seen hiding behind the umpire’s chair two video games into the defeat by Muchova.
“On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public space by a person who exhibited fixated behaviour,” mentioned the Ladies’s Tennis Affiliation (WTA).
“This similar particular person was recognized within the first few rows throughout Emma’s match on Tuesday and subsequently ejected.”
The person has been banned from all WTA occasions, “pending a risk evaluation”.
Raducanu alerted the chair umpire to the state of affairs and was comforted by 14th seed Muchova as the person was faraway from courtroom three.
The Briton returned to the courtroom to applause from the gang and continued taking part in, however fell to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.
In 2022, a person who walked 23 miles to the London dwelling of Raducanu was given a five-year restraining order.
The WTA mentioned: “Participant security is our high precedence, and tournaments are suggested on safety greatest practices for worldwide sporting occasions.
“The WTA is actively working with Emma and her group to make sure her well-being and supply any essential assist.
“We stay dedicated to collaborating with tournaments and their safety groups worldwide to keep up a protected surroundings for all gamers.”
The Dubai Tennis Championships mentioned it “absolutely supported” the WTA’s assertion, and subsequent motion taken by the governing physique of the ladies’s sport.
“The event safety group labored in collaboration with the WTA safety group to proactively determine and instantly eject the person in query from the stadium,” mentioned event organisers.
“We assist the WTA’s determination to ban the person in query from all WTA occasions, and share the tour’s longstanding dedication to participant welfare, security and wellbeing.
“We thank Emma for her contribution to this 12 months’s event and sit up for welcoming her again subsequent 12 months.”
British governing physique the Garden Tennis Affiliation (LTA) mentioned they’ve been involved with Raducanu and her group in Dubai.
“This incident as soon as once more highlights points round security that each one gamers, however feminine gamers particularly, can face,” mentioned the LTA.
“The excursions have robust processes in place already and we are going to proceed to work collectively together with police and safety suppliers to cope with conditions like this robustly.”
