Emma Raducanu reveals impact of stalker ordeal: ‘I’m wary when I go out’

British number two Emma Raducanu admitted she was “wary” when going out following her ordeal with a stalker at the Dubai Championships earlier this year.

The 22-year-old hid behind the umpire’s chair in tears after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a “fixated” man before and during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova in February.

At the time, Raducanu said she “couldn’t see the ball through tears” and could “barely breathe”, while she revealed now that the situation was exacerbated by her being unsettled without a full-time coach.

While Raducanu still minds her surroundings, the 2021 US Open champion wants to move on as she approaches the grass-court season with coaches Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday in tow.

“It was difficult,” she told BBC Sport. “It was emphasised by the fact I didn’t necessarily feel certain or comfortable in my own set-up and team so it just added to the anxious feeling.

“I’m obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you’re in that situation and I don’t necessarily want to be in that situation again.

“Off the court right now, I feel good, I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was negative, I kind of brush it off as much as I can.”

Raducanu, who suffered a second-round exit to Iga Swiatek at the French Open, is managing a back issue in the build-up to Wimbledon, having been hindered by persistent spasm issues for much of 2025.

She will feature in the inaugural women’s Queen’s Club Championships this week, where she will take on Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in the first round.

PA