Emma Raducanu’s stalker has been caught trying to apply for Wimbledon tickets four months after being given a restraining order.
A man was detained and given a restraining order by Dubai Police in February after ‘exhibiting fixated behaviour’ towards the British tennis star.
The same man attempted to enter the public ballot for tickets for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships but was blocked by the All England Club’s security system, according to BBC Sport.
The security system red-flagged the man’s name, which was circulated around tennis authorities following the incident earlier in the year.
What happened to Emma Raducanu?
Raducanu was left in tears during her second-round defeat at the Dubai Tennis Championships after spotting a man in the first few rows of the stand who had followed her to four successive tournaments.
The 22-year-old, who shot to prominence when she won the US Open as a teenage qualifier in 2021, was seen hiding behind the umpire’s chair before the man was removed by security.
The man approached Raducanu the previous day in a coffee shop where he asked for a photograph and gave her a letter.
Dubai Police gave the man a restraining order and said in a statement that he ‘engaged in behaviour that caused distress’.
‘While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments,’ a police statement added.
Emma Raducanu on her stalker ordeal
It was difficult. 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.’
Speaking to BBC Sport earlier this month.
Speaking after the incident in Dubai, Raducanu said: ‘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”.’
‘Fixated behaviour’ is used to describe obsessive, unhealthy and unwanted behaviour.
Raducanu has made some changes since being stalked and says she no longer ‘does things on my own any more’.
‘Since that incident I have definitely got increased attention and greater security,’ she added.
‘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.’
Raducanu has also said she is ‘wary’ about going out following the ordeal.
Raducanu books Alcaraz partnership ahead of Wimbledon
Another man was given a five-year restraining order in 2022 after walking 23 miles to Raducanu’s home.
The 2025 Wimbledon Championships starts on June 30, with the men’s final taking place on July 13.
Raducanu reached the fourth round last year – her joint-best effort since her debut in 2021, just a few months before she won the US Open.
The US Open remains her only title in professional tennis, with Raducanu struggling with form and fitness since her breakthrough season.
She lost in the second round at last month’s French Open and was thumped by world number five Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals of Queen’s.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Raducanu would team up with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the new-look US Open mixed doubles event.
The event, which will take place a few days before the Grand Slam begins in New York, will also feature Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and fellow Brit Jack Draper.
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