A man who displayed "obsessive behaviour" towards Britain's Emma Raducanu during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has been detained and a restraining order imposed on him by police, authorities said on Thursday.
Raducanu, 22, appeared to be deeply affected when she walked to the umpire and hid behind her chair after losing the first two games of the first set to Czech Karolina Muchova on Tuesday in the second round, which the Czech won 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.
The Briton reported the man to officials and he was led away, while Muchova rushed to console Raducanu before play resumed.
The man approached Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, in a public area on Monday, handed her a note and took a photo with her before sitting in the front row during her match on Tuesday.
“Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a message, took a photo of her and displayed behaviour that caused her distress,” the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.
“Although Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking not to approach her and has been banned from attending future tournaments,” it added.
“Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate,” the statement added.
Raducanu thanked fans on Wednesday for their support after what she described as a “difficult experience,” and said she “will be fine.”