Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu will compete at Indian Wells next week in her first Tour appearance since Dubai, where a man exhibited “fixated behaviour” towards her and was removed from the stands during her match, British media reported.
The BBC and Sky Sports reported that Raducanu would be given extra security at Indian Wells, which runs from March 5-16.
Briton Raducanu looked distressed in her second-round match against Karolina Muchova in the Dubai Championships last week, and stood behind the umpire’s chair while the man was led out by security personnel.
She eventually resumed the match and fought back from 4-0 down to force a tiebreak before losing 7-6(6) 6-4.
Dubai Police detained the man following Raducanu’s complaint but the player later decided to drop the charges.
The governing body of women’s tennis, the WTA, banned the man from all of its tournaments and said it would work with Raducanu and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any support needed.
Raducanu has struggled with form and fitness issues since her 2021 U.S. Open win and sits 55th in the rankings.
–Reuters
