A man who was given a restraining order for stalking Emma Raducanu has been caught trying to apply for Wimbledon tickets.
The All England Club’s security system highlighted the man’s name as one that had been red-flagged after an incident in Dubai in February that left the British tennis star in tears.
His attempt to enter the public ballot was blocked.
Raducanu revealed she “couldn’t see the ball through tears” and could “barely breathe” during the stalking ordeal that took place at the Dubai Open.
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During a match at the Dubai Open, Raducanu was left in tears as a man was ejected from the stands
The 22-year-old approached the umpire’s chair in tears just two games into her defeat to Karolina Muchova after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a “fixated” man before and during the second-round match.
Raducanu disclosed she had previously been approached twice by the man off-court.
The man, who was removed from the stands, was subsequently given a restraining order by Dubai police and his name was circulated around tennis authorities.
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Sky Sports News’ senior reporter Rob Dorsett and tennis commentator Jonathan Overend explained how serious a threat a lack of security can be to young tennis players and what needs to be done to prevent further problems
Raducanu opted not to press charges but the individual has been banned from future tournaments.
“I was obviously very distraught,” Raducanu said at the time. “I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, I don’t know how I’m going to finish. I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe.
“I was like, I need to just take a breather here.”
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Former British No 1 Sam Smith said she expected both the WTA and ATP tours to step up their security after Raducanu was reportedly targeted by a man who ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ during her match at the Dubai Open
Speaking to BBC Sport a month on from the incident in Dubai, Raducanu said that she is happy with the level of protection she is now receiving, saying: “[It] could have been dealt with better. Since that incident I have definitely got increased attention and greater security.
“All we can do is look at what happened and react to it in a better way, in a more positive way, rather than looking back and blaming the situation. Now it is being dealt with better, so for me that’s important.
“I’m always now very aware and not necessarily doing things on my own any more. I’m always with someone and always being watched.”
