Emma Raducanu to Receive Extra Security at Indian Wells
British tennis star Emma Raducanu has been granted additional security measures for the upcoming Indian Wells tournament, following a stalking incident at last week’s Dubai Tennis Championships.
According to The Telegraph, Raducanu will have five extra security guards during the event. While she has not yet resumed training, she remains on the tournament’s entry list. Overseeing security at Indian Wells is Bob Campbell, a former Secret Service agent who has been managing security on the tour since 2013.
The stalker first approached Raducanu at a café before later being spotted in the spectator stands. During an unscheduled break in her match, her opponent, Karolina Muchova, walked over to offer support. Despite the unsettling incident, Raducanu returned to play but ultimately lost 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Muchova.
Roman Kelecic, Raducanu’s stand-in coach, told Net, “That [the café encounter] was the only moment in a month where neither I, the fitness coach, nor the security guard was with her.”
Dubai authorities confirmed that the man involved signed a formal undertaking to stay away from Raducanu and has been banned from attending tennis tournaments in Dubai. A statement from the Dubai government noted, “Dubai authorities have taken swift action to address an incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in accordance with local legal protocols. Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behavior that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.”
