Game set hate WTA stars reveal fears after Emma Raducanu s Dubai shock

DUBAI – Iga Swiatek on Feb 19 praised the WTA Tour’s “solid” action after a fearful Emma Raducanu broke down in tears at the sight of a “fixated” fan in Dubai, while teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva admitted that she regularly receives “hateful messages” whenever she loses.

The WTA said it had banned a man who “exhibited fixated behaviour” towards 2021 US Open champion Raducanu during the Briton’s straight-set loss to Karolina Muchova on Feb 18.

Raducanu appeared to be crying as she approached the umpire’s chair at 2-0 in the first set of their second-round match. The match was halted while she spoke with the umpire, who quickly contacted tournament organisers.

The 22-year-old stood behind the official’s chair as the spectator was escorted away, with Muchova rushing to comfort her before play resumed.

In a statement released on Feb 19, the tour revealed that the same man who was removed from the stands had approached Raducanu in a public area earlier in the week.

The WTA said the man has now been “banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment”.

Swiatek, the world No. 2, believes the tour did the right thing, and acknowledges such situations can be hard to avoid, even with strict safety measures in place.

“I know the WTA banned this person from going on-site anywhere on any tournament. So I guess the reaction was pretty solid,” said the five-time Grand Slam title winner.

“I like that because it’s the WTA’s responsibility to keep us safe, for that environment to be safe for us. I guess with their help it’s fine. But, yeah, it’s hard probably to avoid these situations.”

Swiatek also revealed she had a close call with a fan at an event in her native Poland in the past and that players should be