Former US Open Winner Emma Raducanu Breaks Down in Tears Mid-Game After Spotting ‘Fixated’ Man in Crowd

British tennis star Emma Raducanu broke down in tears during her second-round match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Feb. 18 after spotting a “fixated” man in the crowd.

According to a statement on X from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), a man who had approached Raducanu, 22, in a public area the day before and “exhibited fixated behavior” was spotted in the “first few rows” of her game against Czech player Karolina Muchová.

The WTA confirmed the male spectator was “subsequently ejected” and “will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”

In footage shared by Sky News and The Telegraph, Raducanu was seen getting visibly emotional as she walked over to the umpire’s chair during the early stages of the game. The sports star placed her hand on the umpire’s chair as she talked with the umpire, before walking behind the chair and out of view. Muchová, 28, was then seen going to check out the situation before comforting Raducanu. 

The 2021 US Open winner was later seen wiping away tears from her eyes with a towel before returning to the court to finish the game, which she lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events,” the WTA added. “The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.” 

The organization concluded their statement by noting, “We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the WTA for additional information. 

Raducanu addressed the incident on social media later, writing, “Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match,” on her Instagram Story.

She added, “Thank you to Karolina for being a great sports and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”

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Raducanu made her professional debut at 13 and became a force to be reckoned with as a teenager in 2021, becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade in 1977. 

In 2021, she was named the WTA’s newcomer of the year, with past winners including both Serena and Venus Williams.

“To join those names, I think, is pretty crazy,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “And I don’t really believe it, because they’ve achieved so much. So for me to be part of that little group, I think, is a good achievement. But I’m just really looking forward to getting started from here and trying to really make my tour experience and my tour legacy prolonged.”