Emma Raducanu broke down in tears midway through her match in Dubai (Image: X.com/@lisa_talking)
The WTA have issued a statement explaining the scary incident that reduced to tears during her match at the Dubai Tennis Championship on Tuesday.
The Briton was trailing 2-0 in the first set to Karolina Muchova in Dubai when the 22-year-old suddenly halted the match and walked over to her chair.
Raducanu appeared to break down in tears and even took refuge behind the umpire’s chair as she sobbed, leading Muchova to walk over and console her.
While it was not immediately clear what had triggered Raducanu to become upset, she informed the umpire about a security breach after speaking with a member of her team. She looked visibly emotional as she spoke with the official, wiping away tears with a towel.
The incident triggered concern amongst the commentators and fans watching from afar.
And the WTA issued a statement to clarify what happened on court – revealing a spectator who had ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ with Raducanu had been banned from the tournament.
It read: “On Monday, February 17, was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behavior. 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.”
Emma Raducanu’s match was interrupted following a fan’s ‘fixated behaviour’ (Image: Getty)
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