Former US Open Champion Emma Radukanu was shed tears after finding a man who showed “elaborate behavior” to her during Tuesday's match in Dubai
The 22-year-old visibly rattled at the start of his second round match against Karolina Mankova at the Dubai Tennis Championship, prompting him to suddenly stop playing in the first set.
Radukanu shed tears as he tried to compose himself. She then walked towards the officials before hiding behind the judge's chair.
Radkanu said he found a man sitting in the “first sequence” where he had a strange encounter on Monday. She added that his presence made her fear of her safety, Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement.
The WTA added that crazy fans approached Radukanu in a “public area” on Monday and “expressed elaborate behavior” towards her.
Shortly after the judge was signalled by organizers and security to remove the audience, Radukanu was comforted by his opponent behind the judge's chair.
Authorities then took the man off the property.
On her side, former World No. 10 was seen wiped tears from her face with a towel before telling the referee that she was ready to resume the match.
The match ended in the middle of Dubai's midnight after two hours and seven minutes of play. Radukanu tied up from 4-0 to force a tiebreaker, but ended up losing 7-6 (6), 6-4.
The tennis organization said the man would be “banned from all WTA events awaiting a threat assessment.”
It added, “We will work actively with Emma and her team to ensure her happiness and provide the support she needs.”
“Player safety is our number one priority and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the WTA shared.
“We remain committed to working with tournaments and their security teams around the world to maintain a safe environment for all players.”
That's not Radkanu's first break-in with obsessive fans.
In December 2022, the tennis player was forced to submit a restraining order against the former Amazon delivery driver who stalked her at his London home.
The obsessed fans left behind notes, flowers and Christmas decorations, and on certain missions, stole one of his father's shoes as a souvenir.
Radukanu was left “sneaking” and was scared to be at home alone on the incident.
The stalker was eventually sentenced in 2022 by a British court to community service and a five-year restraint order.
Ranked 61st in the world, Radkanu was shot by Global Stardom after winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021.
However, the tennis star has struggled in the majors since his big win and has spent a long stint fighting injuries.
