Raducanu says Wimbledon 'did amazing job' after stalker tried to buy match tickets

23 June 2025, 20:26 | Updated: 23 June 2025, 22:04

British tennis player Emma Raducanu has praised Wimbledon for preventing a man who had been stalking her from buying tickets to the upcoming tournament.

Raducanu said that Wimbledon had done an "amazing job" in preventing the man who stalked her in the Middle East from purchasing tickets to see her play in this year's championship in London's SW19.

She said police contacted her and assured her "everything was ok."

The 22-year-old tennis star feels "comfortable and safe" and has had "great protection" at tennis events recently, she told BBC Sport in an interview at Eastbourne, where she is currently competing.

The unknown man followed Radacanu to four successive tournaments in February and was later given a restraining order by Dubai police, and his name was circulated among the tennis authorities.

She said increased security around her after the series of incidents - which culminated in the tennis star leaving in tears when she saw the man in the stands of a match in Dubai - felt "different", but that the difference reassured her and made her feel more comfortable.

Radacanu also praised fellow tennis player Katie Boulter for her recent comments discussing the scale of social media abuse she receives. Radacanu said she also experiences abuse on social media and tries not to look at it during tournaments as it upsets her.

Later in the interview, the world number 38 spoke of her upcoming mixed doubles partnership with world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz, which sent social media into a frenzy of speculation over the pair's relationship week.

She said she was "surprised" and "honoured" when the world number 1 asked her to pair up for the US Open mixed doubles in August.

Asked about social media rumours suggesting the two tennis stars are romantically involved, Raducanu laughed and said she was not aware of the rumours "to that extent" but that "I'm glad the Internet is having fun."

She said the two had known each other for a long time and have stayed in touch since Wimbledon in 2021.

She said the two had been friends since "before anyone won anything."

Radacanu will face American Ann Li at Eastbourne on Tuesday.

Wimbledon begins on 30 June.