Emma Raducanu cries on the court after noticing fan

Tennis player Emma Raducanu broke down in tears when she noticed a fan, who had previously approached her in public, was at her match.

The day before her match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Raducanu allegedly interacted with a male tourist who “approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress,” the government of Dubai reportedly stated.

While it is unclear what the fan said to the British athlete, the same man showed up to Raducanu’s match against No. 17-ranked Czech national Karolina Muchova.

The fan had “exhibited fixated behavior,” the World Tennis Association said on X. Adding, “This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match.”

Footage from the event showed Raducanu bursting into tears upon noticing the man and then hiding behind the judge’s chair as she broke down. Raducanu eventually reappeared and wiped her tears away with a sport towel.

“It doesn’t look good for Raducanu,” the event’s announcer said. At the same time, the match judge appeared to console the 22-year-old before speaking into her radio.

An alternate angle from Sun Sports showed the moment the No. 61-ranked player saw the man in the audience; he was then seen being escorted away from the court by security.

The man was “subsequently ejected,” the WTA remarked. “He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”

‘Raducanu later chose to drop the charges.’

Reuters later reported that Dubai Police had detained the man and noted he signed a “formal undertaking to maintain distance” from Raducanu, and he has since been banned from future tournaments.

The Dubai government did not say if the individual had been released, however, officials did reveal that “Raducanu later chose to drop the charges.”

The former U.S. Open champion lost the match 7-6 (6), 6-4 and later reportedly said she was proud of herself for how she responded to the “difficult experience.”

The WTA maintained that player safety is its top priority and said it is working with Raducanu’s team to “ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!