By the time Emma Raducanu sat down for a Q&A session with a group of enthusiastic ball kids at the Dubai Tennis Championships, she had already been through a harrowing ordeal that spanned three weeks and four countries. Despite this, she appeared calm and composed, answering questions with her usual grace. When asked if she had ever been a ball girl (she hadn’t), which past player she would love to have faced (Ashleigh Barty), and what advice she would offer to aspiring tennis players (work hard every day), Raducanu handled it all effortlessly.
However, things took an unexpected turn when a young boy asked her, “Who’s your celebrity crush?” Raducanu hesitated for a moment, laughing nervously, before responding, “I’m focused on myself right now. I don’t have time for any crushes.” Little did anyone know that the question was more timely than they could have imagined.
In the weeks prior, Raducanu had been dealing with a man who had been following her from tournament to tournament. This man’s behavior had escalated from harmless admiration to disturbing obsession. He had been following her across multiple countries, including Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and now Dubai. At first, Raducanu’s team had mistaken the man for just another fan, as he began to approach her for selfies and even physical contact. But the situation took a serious turn when he made his way into a restaurant where Raducanu was dining alone, making it clear he was observing her with unsettling intent.
This was the moment when Raducanu’s coach, Roman Kelecic, realized the extent of the threat. Kelecic and Raducanu’s security team had been closely monitoring the situation, but this incident marked the point at which the man’s behavior crossed the line. Kelecic explained that the man had been calculating his every move, taking advantage of a moment when security was not with Raducanu to approach her. The disturbing nature of his behavior became apparent, and Raducanu’s team immediately reported it to the authorities.
The situation came to a head during Raducanu’s second-round match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Open. Raducanu became visibly distressed when she spotted the man in the stands, which led her to communicate with the umpire. Despite her emotional turmoil, Raducanu continued playing but was unable to recover from her earlier loss of the first set, eventually losing the match in straight sets.
The most shocking aspect of this ordeal was that the man had been allowed into the stands despite Raducanu’s security team having already provided his photo to the tournament organizers. Officials were briefed on the situation, but the man managed to stay undetected until Raducanu broke down during the match and identified him. After being ejected from the venue, Raducanu later expressed her gratitude to her 2.6 million Instagram followers for their support, posting that although it was a difficult experience, she was proud of how she had handled the situation.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time Raducanu had faced obsessive behavior. In 2022, a delivery driver from north-west London was issued a five-year restraining order after repeatedly visiting her home. At that time, Raducanu shared her feelings, explaining how such incidents made her feel like her freedom was compromised and that she was constantly looking over her shoulder.
Despite the emotional toll, Raducanu remained resilient and even changed her Instagram bio to the Latin phrase “ad astra per aspera” – meaning “through adversity to the stars.” However, upon her return to Heathrow Airport, the weight of the recent ordeal seemed to catch up with her. As she was reunited with her father, Raducanu’s composed public persona slipped, revealing the full extent of the emotional strain she had been enduring.
