Emma Radcanu's stalker caught by Wimbledon organisers attempting to buy tickets for this year's event
By MATTHEW LAMBWELL
The man who stalked Emma Raducanu across four countries was blocked from an attempt to acquire Wimbledon tickets.
In Dubai in February, Raducanu, 22, was reduced to tears by the sight of a man in the stands who had approached her the previous day, handing her a letter and taking a photo. She had previously seen him in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha. A restraining order was issued and his name was shared with tournaments around the world, effectively added to a blacklist.
The man, who has never been named, had entered the public ballot for Wimbledon tickets at the end of last year and was initially unsuccessful. But applicants’ names are held and they can be offered tickets through resale, so he would still have had a chance of getting into the grounds of SW19. But the All England Club performed a sweep of ballot applications after the Dubai incident and threw him out of the process.
In Indian Wells in March, where her security was beefed up, Raducanu spoke about the incident with honesty and bravery. ‘I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, “I don't know how I'm going to finish”,’ she said. ‘I literally couldn't see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe.’
The terrible ordeal has brought a spotlight on the issues faced by - especially female - tennis players.
Last week the All England Club CEO Sally Bolton said she was confident Wimbledon had the security in place to protect the players.
Emma Raducanu was subject to a stalking ordeal at the Dubai Open in February of this year
The British No1 revealed last week that the nightmare in Dubai meant that she was still 'wary'
The All England Club hierarchy are believed to have flagged the man's name when he applied for the public ballot
‘The safety and wellbeing of all of the players is our absolute top priority,’ said Bolton. ‘The recent incidents coming to light, we certainly recognise the concern generated by that. But we have in place - and have had for many years - processes for ensuring the safety of our players.
‘And that is in liaison with law enforcement agencies, specialist security teams and we liaise with both tours.
‘It is absolutely a top priority for us. We wouldn’t comment on any details in respect of any individual athlete but that intelligence is being gathered working with those other parties throughout the year to make sure we have got the right measures in place.’
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