Emma Raducanu praises Wimbledon security after stalker blocked from buying tickets: ‘I feel safe now’

Britain’s tennis player Emma Raducanu said she felt relieved and reassured about her safety while praising Wimbledon for doing “an amazing job” after they prevented a man, who had been stalking her, from buying tickets for the Grand Slam that begins on Monday.
Raducanu, who rose to fame after her US Open Grand Slam win in 2021 as a 18-year-old teenager, had been followed the man in the WTA events in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Doha earlier this year, and the 22-year-old broke down in tears after noticing him during one of her matches at the Dubai Championships in February.
As per the BBC Sports, the All England Club’s security measures spotted the man who had been red-flagged and blocked his attempt to enter the public ballot for Wimbledon.
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“Wimbledon and everyone did an amazing job. I got a notification, the police contacted me and told me everything was OK,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. “I know that I am not the first athlete to go through this, and I probably won’t be the last-not just as an athlete, but females in general,” she added.
The stalker was later given a restraining order the Dubai police and banned from all Tour events after he was caught in February.
Raducanu has often had a greater security detail with her at tournaments since the upsetting incident in Dubai, and says she now feels “comfortable and safe” on tour. “I’ve had great protection whenever I have been at these events recently. I have a lot more protection around me – especially the ones here in the UK, where it’s busy and there’s more spectators around,” she said
“I feel a difference, and that reassures me and makes me feel more comfortable,” continued Raducanu.Story continues below this ad
The Briton has previously been the victim of another stalker, with a different man given a five-year restraining order in 2022 after he walked 23 miles to her home.