“It’s terrifying how much he planned it”: Emma Raducanu’s coach reveals disturbing details about obsessive stalker
Emma Raducanu’s Coach Reveals Disturbing Details of Stalking Incident That Halted Dubai Match
Emma Raducanu’s coach, Roma Kelecic, has shed light on the distressing harassment that led the British tennis star to pause her match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Raducanu was visibly shaken after spotting a man who had been stalking her in the crowd.
The 2021 US Open champion had previously encountered the same individual in multiple cities, including Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. His obsessive behavior escalated when he approached her at a restaurant, raising serious concerns.
During her second-round match against Muchova, Raducanu, currently ranked No. 61, stopped play to inform the chair umpire about the man’s presence in the stands. Overcome with emotion, she broke down in tears and hid behind the umpire’s chair until security intervened and removed the individual from the venue.
Kelecic, who is temporarily coaching Raducanu while she searches for a permanent replacement for Nick Cavaday, recounted the troubling ordeal.
“This man followed her to Singapore, to Abu Dhabi—where I was with her—again in Doha, now in Dubai, and we noticed him,” Kelecic, who also coached Raducanu as a junior, explained.
“At first, we assumed he was just a fan… until he got physically close to her, taking selfies, hugging her,” he added.
According to The Telegraph, the man handed Raducanu a letter after approaching her at a hotel. iNews further reported that he confronted her in a restaurant.
Kelecic emphasized the calculated nature of the stalker’s actions:
“That was the only moment in a month when neither I, the fitness coach, nor the security guard was with her. That man was observing, waiting for the perfect opportunity to get close to her. His strategy was terrifying—he planned every move. It’s frightening how much thought went into his actions, and unfortunately, he succeeded in getting near her.”
