Concern over a man who'd exhibited "fixated behavior" caused Emma Raducanu to approach the chair umpire in tears and take an unscheduled break during her second-round match at the Dubai Championships, the Women's Tennis Association said Wednesday.
There had been no immediate explanation Tuesday when the 2021 US Open champion walked to the umpire after the second game, said a few words and then stood in a small space between the back of the official's chair and barrier netting adjacent to Court 2.
Raducanu, who was a teenager in 2022 when a man in Britain was convicted of stalking her at her family home the previous year, returned to play after a brief delay at 2-0 down and eventually lost 7-6 (6), 6-4 to 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova.
On Wednesday, the WTA issued a statement explaining that Raducanu was approached in a public space Monday "by a man who exhibited fixated behavior" and "this same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma's match on Tuesday ... and subsequently ejected."
He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
Raducanu addressed the incident in an Instagram story and thanked people who sent messages of support.
"Difficult experience yesterday but I'll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match," Raducanu wrote. "Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."
The chair umpire called tournament organizers immediately when Raducanu reported her concerns in the first set of the night match, and Muchova walked over to console the 22-year-old British player.
Raducanu then picked up a towel, wiped her face, nodded and continued the match.
Tournament organizers said they worked in collaboration with the WTA's security team to identify and eject the fan.
"We support the WTA's decision to ban the individual in question from all WTA events, and share the tour's longstanding commitment to player welfare, safety and wellbeing," organizers said in a statement.
The WTA said it was working with Raducanu and her team "to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support."
Raducanu rose to fame in 2021 by winning the US Open as a qualifier, one of the the most unlikely achievements in tennis. She hasn't advanced past the third round at a major since and has spent long stints recovering from injuries.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.