Emma Raducanu has praised Wimbledon after a man who has been stalking her was banned from buying tickets for this year’s championships.
The former US Open champion hailed the All England Club’s “amazing job,” after intercepting an attempt from the man who had been following her at several events over the last year.
The man was handed a restraining order by police in Dubai after turning up at the Dubai Tennis Championships and appearing at Raducanu’s match, leaving her afraid and in tears.
But Wimbledon’s security system raised a red flag after the man’s recent attempt to buy tickets for SW19 this year, with the application subsequently rejected.
“Wimbledon did an amazing job. I got a notification and the police contacted me and assured me that everything was OK,” Raducanu, who will return to court this week at Eastbourne in preparation for Wimbledon next week, told BBC Sport.
“I feel OK, I feel comfortable and safe. I’ve had great protection whenever I’ve been at these events recently. I feel a difference and that makes me feel more comfortable.”
Raducanu, who shot to fame with her victory at the US Open as a relatively unknown 18-year-old in 2021, is competing at the Eastbourne Open this week.
And she paid tribute to compatriot Katie Boulter who this week revealed the extent of the online abuse she regularly receives.
“I’m glad Katie spoke out about it and I’m glad she took a stand, because it’s something we all have to deal with – some to different levels, but all are pretty extreme,” Raducanu added.
Raducanu will return to Flushing Meadows this year with a new doubles partner after confirming her bid to win the mixed doubles alongside the current Wimbledon and French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.
“She’s going to be the boss!” he said, with a wide smile in his press conference. “The US Open came to us and gave us the opportunity to play mixed doubles and I’m super excited about it. It’s going to be great.
“I’ve known Emma a really long time and I have a really good relationship with her, it’s going to be interesting. The tournament told us about the mixed tournament and I was thinking it couldn’t be better than Emma. I asked Emma if she wanted to play doubles with me and yeah, I made that special request.”
Asked if she said ‘yes’ straight away, Alcaraz humorously responded: “She took a while! She had to think a little bit!”
PA contributed to this report
