DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — It was concern over a man who’d exhibited “fixated behavior” that caused Emma Raducanu to approach the chair umpire in tears and take an unscheduled break in her second-round match at the Dubai Championships.
There was no immediate explanation Tuesday when the 2021 U.S. Open champion walked over to the umpire after the second game, said a few words and then stood in a small space between the back of the official’s chair and the area separating the court from spectators.
Raducanu, who was still a teenager in 2022 when a man in Britain was convicted of stalking her at her family home the previous year, returned to play after a brief pause at 2-0 down and eventually lost 7-6 (6), 6-4 to 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova.
Several hours later, organizers of the women’s tennis tour issued a statement explaining that Raducanu was approached in a public space Monday “by a man who exhibited fixated behavior” and “this same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday … and subsequently ejected.”
“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
