(Reuters) - The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said it has banned a man who exhibited "fixated behaviour" towards Emma Raducanu after he was taken away by security personnel during the Briton's match at the Dubai Championship late on Tuesday.
Former U.S. Open champion Raducanu appeared to be in tears as she approached the umpire's chair during the first set of her second-round match with Karolina Muchova.
The match was briefly halted after Raducanu spoke with the umpire, who quickly contacted tournament organisers. The 22-year-old stood behind the official's chair as the spectator was escorted away.
When play resumed Raducanu fought back from 4-0 down to force a tiebreak but ultimately fell 7-6(6) 6-4.
"On Monday Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour," the WTA said in a statement on Wednesday.
"This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
"The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.
"We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players."
Raducanu took to Instagram on Wednesday to thank those who sent messages of support, and also praised her opponent.
"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," Raducanu wrote.
"Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."
Muchova is still in the competition after reaching the quarter-finals with a 6-3 1-6 7-6(5) win over American McCartney Kessler on Wednesday, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka crashed out losing 6-3 6-2 to Denmark's Clara Tauson.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Christian Radnedge)
