Tennis star Karolina Muchova recently recounted a bizarre incident that occurred during her match against Emma Raducanu at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai. The experience, which she described as “strange,” involved a man exhibiting ‘fixated behavior’ towards Raducanu, a development that grabbed more attention than Muchova’s victory over McCartney Kessler in the round of 16.
During the match, at a scoreline of 2-0, Raducanu, the reigning US Open champion, appeared visibly distressed and was seen in tears while conversing with the umpire. It was later disclosed that a spectator had been behaving oddly towards Raducanu, having approached her the previous day as well.
Muchova, surprised by the unfolding events, shared her perspective. “I was focused on my serve and didn’t realize anything was amiss. Then I noticed she wasn’t on the other side. I checked with the referee to understand what was happening,” Muchova said.
Expressing her concern, Muchova added, “No one, no woman, no girl, should have to face such situations. I tried to be there for her, perhaps to offer some comfort. I’m relieved they resolved it quickly. After some time, she seemed okay and we continued with the match.”
The Czech player confessed that she herself had never experienced such an incident. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by supportive fans. Of course, we receive messages post-match, some of them not so pleasant, but I’ve never had someone approach me in person. I guess I’m lucky,” she expressed.
Despite the unsettling incident, Raducanu played on, eventually succumbing 7-6(6), 6-4 to Muchova.
Days after the incident, Raducanu addressed the event on social media, expressing gratitude for the support she received. “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,” she posted on Instagram. She also praised Karolina for being a good sport and wished her luck in the tournament.
The official WTA statement clarified that the man exhibiting the fixated behavior had been identified and ejected from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
Moving forward from the incident, Muchova is set to face Sorana Cirstea in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 in Dubai. Muchova holds a 4-1 lead in their past encounters, having won their last two matches, including their 2023 face-off at the same event.