The WTA took swift action against a spectator who exhibited “fixated behavior” towards Emma Raducanu during her match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, removing them from the venue and banning them from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, was visibly shaken by the incident but later thanked fans for their support on social media. Iga Swiatek, the world No. 2, echoed Raducanu’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of player safety and expressing her own experience with a similar issue at a charity event in Poland.
“I like that because it’s WTA’s kind of responsibility to keep us safe,” said Swiatek. “We have a lot of security around us when we go out of the court, and I feel very safe.”
The incident has highlighted the need for players to take action if they feel uncomfortable or threatened by fan behavior. “A player will know when it’s too much,” noted Swiatek. “Everybody has a different limit.”
Source: https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/iga-swiatek-wta-responsible-keep-players-safe-emma-raducanu-incident