February 20 2025: This story has been updated to reflect a statement from Dubai authorities detailing their response to the incident.
A male spectator who exhibited “fixated behavior” toward Emma Raducanu during her match against Karolina Muchová in Dubai has been given a restraining order, Dubai authorities confirmed Thursday.
In a statement released on social media, they confirmed that Raducanu had dropped charges against the man, who had “approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress.”
“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,” the statement read.
Raducanu was visibly upset during the match at the WTA 1,000 Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday, before court security ejected the spectator. She approached the umpire in tears during the second game in the match, retreating behind the official’s chair. The umpire spoke on a walkie-talkie before a brief pause in play, during which Muchová approached Raducanu.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which governs women’s professional tennis, subsequently issued a statement saying that the same spectator had approached Raducanu earlier…
