Spectator banned after 'fixated behaviour' leaves tennis star Emma Raducanu in tears
Updated . First published
Emma Raducanu's teary exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships has been explained, with a man exhibiting "fixated behaviour" before the 2021 US Open champion approached the umpire in distress.
Raducanu hid behind the umpire's chair early in her match against Karolina Muchova in the second round of the tournament, before walking toward the umpire's chair, leaning against it as she cried and using the chair to shield herself.
Muchova, 28, strolled over to her 22-year-old opponent and consoled her.
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Raducanu then wiped tears from her face with a towel before resuming the match.
Emma Raducanu hides behind the umpire's chair. Tennis Channel
She was dealt a double break but fought back to force a tiebreak, before going down 7-6(6), 6-4 in two hours and four minutes.
She had a set point in the opening set but couldn't close it out.
Raducanu did not appear to be struggling with an injury and an absence of courtside microphones made it difficult to pinpoint why she was upset.
"Unfortunately we cannot hear what is going on, but it doesn't look good," commentator Candy Reid said at the time.
"[She] appears to be in tears here and this is very, very concerning.
"Something has happened and I am not sure what it is. Karolina Muchova, one of the goodies on the WTA tour, [is] just consoling her opponent.
"You never want to see a player in tears on court; this is meant to be a fun game."
Emma Raducanu pictured during the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Getty
Later on Wednesday it was revealed in a statement from the WTA that Raducanu had become upset due to the behaviour of a man in the crowd, who was ejected from the venue.
"Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour," the governing body posted to X.
"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's breakdown caused major concern on social media in the hours after her exit.
The young gun has yet to publicly comment on the matter.
