Raducanu says 'I'll be OK' after man removed from stands at Dubai tournament

The Associated Press

· Posted: Feb 19, 2025 7:51 AM EST | Last Updated: February 19

Emma Raducanu said she volition beryllium OK aft what she called a "difficult experience" related to the beingness of a antheral who had exhibited "fixated behaviour" toward her astatine the Dubai Championships.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion had approached the seat umpire aboriginal successful her second-round lucifer against 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova connected Tuesday night. She was successful tears, and the WTA aboriginal linked her absorption to the beingness of the unidentified man.

On Wednesday, the 22-year-old British subordinate responded with a connection connected her Instagram account.

"Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult acquisition yesterday but I'll beryllium good and arrogant of however I came backmost and competed contempt what happened astatine the commencement of the match," Raducanu wrote. "Thank you to Karolina for being a large athletics and champion of luck to her for the remainder of the tournament."

Raducanu, who was inactive a teen successful 2022 erstwhile a antheral successful Britain was convicted of stalking her, returned to play aft a little hold astatine 2-0 down and yet mislaid 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Muchova.

Early Wednesday, the WTA issued a connection explaining that Raducanu was approached successful a nationalist abstraction Monday "by a antheral who exhibited fixated behaviour" and "this aforesaid idiosyncratic was identified successful the archetypal fewer rows during Emma's lucifer connected Tuesday ... and subsequently ejected."

"He volition beryllium banned from each WTA events pending a menace assessment."

The seat umpire called tourney organizers instantly erstwhile Raducanu reported her concerns successful the archetypal acceptable of the nighttime match. Muchova walked implicit to console the 22-year-old player, who was calved successful Toronto but moved with her household to Britain astatine a young age.

Raducanu past picked up a towel, wiped her face, nodded and continued the match. She didn't instantly remark connected the incident.

The WTA said it was moving with Raducanu and her squad "to guarantee her well-being and supply immoderate indispensable support."

Raducanu roseate to fame successful 2021 by winning the U.S. Open arsenic a qualifier, 1 of the the astir improbable achievements successful tennis. She hasn't precocious past the 3rd circular astatine a large since past and has spent agelong stints recovering from injuries.

Tired Tauson upends No. 1 Sabalenka

Clara Tauson didn't get overmuch slumber but inactive bushed No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 to scope the quarterfinals.

The 22-year-old Dane got to furniture precocious aft outlasting Elina Svitolina successful a three-set triumph successful the erstwhile round.

"I deliberation I slept possibly 5 hours past night. We went to slumber astatine 330 a.m.," Clauson, ranked 38th, said successful her on-court interview. "I didn't cognize what signifier I was going to travel retired present in, but a beauteous bully one."

It was Tauson's archetypal triumph implicit a No. 1-ranked player. Next up is Linda Noskova for a changeable astatine the semifinals. The Czech subordinate bushed fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (8).

Second-seeded Iga Swiatek bushed Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-0 and adjacent faces Mirra Andreeva, who overcame Peyton Sterns 6-1, 6-1.

Defending champion Jasmine Paolini was ousted by Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-0.

The Italian sustained a close ankle wounded during the 2nd set. A tearful Paolini got a aesculapian timeout and had her ankle immobilized, but could not situation Kenin afterward.

Kenin volition look sixth-seeded Elena Rybakina successful the quarterfinals. Rybakina bushed ninth-seeded Paula Badosa 4-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2).

Sorana Cirstea bushed Emma Navarro 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-5. The Romanian volition adjacent look Karolina Muchova, who earlier defeated McCartney Kessler 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (5).

Dabrowski, Routliffe eliminated successful doubles

Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand were eliminated from women's doubles competition with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 nonaccomplishment to the Czech Republic's Linda Noskova and Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in second-round action.

Noskova and Putintseva dominated the tiebreak aft winning the 2nd acceptable against the second-seeded squad to adjacent the match.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won conscionable 1 of six work points and 1 of 4 instrumentality points successful the tiebreak.

The brace struggled aft winning a comfy archetypal acceptable successful which they didn't look interruption constituent portion converting 1 of the 7 interruption chances they had against Noskova and Putintseva.

Dabrowski and Routliffe person mislaid some their matches since advancing to the semifinals of the Australian Open past month.

The reigning WTA Finals doubles champions had a bye successful the archetypal circular successful Dubai.