A man who confronted Emma Raducanu during the Dubai Tennis Championships has signed “a formal undertaking” to stay away from the star in future, local authorities have said.
The man, who is described as being a “tourist” in the United Arab Emirates, has also been banned from attending future tennis tournaments in the country.
A statement from the government of Dubai shared more details of the incidents that took place earlier this week, and revealed that Raducanu had chosen not to press charges against the individual, who remains unnamed.
“Dubai authorities have taken swift action to address an incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in accordance with local legal protocols,” the statement said. “Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
“While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments. Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate.”
According to the Women’s Tennis Association, which stages the Dubai tournament, Raducanu first raised concerns over the man’s behaviour on Monday when he “approached her in a public area” and “exhibited fixated behaviour”.
On Tuesday he then took a seat in the “first few rows” of the venue for Raducanu’s second-round match against Karolina Muchova. The 2021 US Open champion then approached the umpire’s chair two games into the match, to alert officials to his presence.
FollowingAfter a discussion with the tournament director, security officials ejected the spectator before the match resumed. Raducanu slipped 4-0 behind before battling back to send the first set into a tie-break but eventually fell to a 7-6 (6), 6-4 defeat.
On Tuesday the 22-year-old posted a message on Instagram to assure fans that “I’ll be OK”. Raducanu said she was “proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match. Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
The Professional Tennis Players Association said on Thursday that Raducanu’s experience of finding herself the target of concerning behaviour highlights a “pervasive issue” affecting players.
A PTPA statement read: “Tennis players and professional athletes worldwide must be able to focus on their jobs – training and competing – free from fear of harassment or abuse. The recent high-profile incident in Dubai, where security swiftly removed a disruptive fan from a top player during a premier tournament, underscores a pervasive issue.
“Such disturbances are not confined to elite events; they also occur with unsettling regularity at lower-tier tournaments, exacerbated by the influence of online betting.
“We commend the Dubai security team’s efforts, and we recognise the lingering toll these kinds of incidents take on players’ performance and welfare. Governing bodies and tournament operators alike must remain vigilant with player security, ensuring there are appropriate mechanisms in place to immediately assess and address any potential threats.
“As indicated in our principles, player safety is of the utmost importance to the PTPA, and we are actively evaluating how we can provide additional resources that foster a safer environment for all players.”
