Category: Tennis

• Briton describes her ordeal at hands of ‘fixated’ man
• Player due to be in action at Indian Wells on Thursday

Emma Raducanu has spoken out about her stalking ordeal for the first time, disclosing on Tuesday that she “couldn’t see the ball through tears” and could “barely breathe” after noticing the man who had followed her across borders throughout February was sitting metres away from her in the stands of her match in Dubai.

Raducanu had been competing in the second round of the Dubai Open against Karolina Muchova when she paused the match and was overcome with emotions, positioning herself behind the umpire’s chair while the spectator was removed. “I was very distraught,” said Raducanu as she prepares for the Indian Wells Open. “I saw him first game of the match, and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m gonna finish’.”

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Recent losses seemed to reflect coaching uncertainty but impact of stalkers sheds new light on difficulties she faces

The season is ruthless and unforgiving, a significant tournament always on the horizon for its subjects. For Emma Raducanu, this means that after one of the most difficult experiences of her career, another encounter with a stalker, she has had little time to digest her emotions before the next big event is upon her.

Last month, while she competed in a series of tournaments across Asia, Raducanu was pursued by a stalker across tournament sites, cities and borders, who attempted strategically to approach her when she was alone. His behaviour culminated in Raducanu spotting him in the stands during her second‑round match against Karolina Muchova in Dubai. Understandably emotional, Raducanu asked for the man to be removed. He was subsequently banned from WTA tournaments and signed an agreement to stay away from her.

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• Partnership to continue at US tournaments this month
• Pair worked together at Australian Open in January

Novak Djokovic’s partnership with coach Andy Murray will continue at Indian Wells this week and at the Miami Open this month, the PA news agency understands.

Murray is heading out to Indian Wells, California, on Monday for the BNP Paribas Open, which starts on Wednesday, with the Miami Open following on 19 March.

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• Briton expected to be offered extra security at event
• Zverev loses to Tien as seeds exit at Mexican Open

Emma Raducanu will return to action next week at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

At the former US Open champion’s most recent tournament in Dubai last week, she was approached by a man displaying what the WTA described as “fixated behaviour” before her second-round defeat to Karolina Muchova. Raducanu was visibly distressed, hiding behind the umpire’s chair early in the contest after spotting the man in the first few rows of seats.

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• British No 1 beaten 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 but up to 12th in rankings
• Andreeva, 17, becomes youngest WTA 1000 title winner

Andrey Rublev was tested early on but finished in style to beat Britain’s Jack Draper 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 and win the Qatar Open on Saturday.

“It feels amazing. It’s the first time I’ve won the same title twice,” the delighted Russian said. “I’m really happy. I don’t know what else to say.”

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• British No 1 recovers to beat Jiri Lehecka 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3
• World No 2 Zverev shocked by Francisco Comesano

The British No 1, Jack Draper, produced another gutsy display to defeat Jiri Lehecka in three sets at the Qatar Open and reach the fifth ATP Tour final of his career, while world No 2 Alexander Zverev tumbled out of he Rio Open against Francisco Comesana.

Lehecka had stunned Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals in Doha and looked on course to claim another scalp when he won the first set. Draper required a tie-break to get the match back on level terms before he showed his class in the decider to take victory by a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 score.

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• British No 1 battles past Matteo Berrettini at Qatar Open
• Jiri Lehecka stuns world No 3 Alcaraz in three sets

Jack Draper reached the Qatar Open semi-finals in Doha after fighting back to beat Matteo Berrettini in three gruelling sets. The British men’s No 1, sidelined for a month with a hip injury before his return to action this week, overcame the 28-year-old Italian 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and faces Jiri Lehecka in the last four.

Draper let slip his third service game on his way to losing the first set before breaking Berrettini for the first time at 5-4 up in the second to level it up. The eighth seed broke Berrettini’s serve for the second time to move 3-1 up in the decider and that proved decisive as he then fended off break point against him to lead 5-2 before comfortably serving out for the match.

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Women in sport are left exposed by the lack of backing that men receive, and by toxic attitudes that must be called out

If you watched any of Emma Raducanu’s Tuesday match against Karolina Muchova, it was probably only the two clips, stitched together neatly for the news highlights. Raducanu approaching the umpire. Raducanu wiping away tears with a towel.

An emotional Raducanu is an instant headline, although this wasn’t a case of injury or frustration. Having seen a man in the crowd whose off-court behaviour had already concerned her, she was doing the sensible thing and reporting it. The Daily Mail reported that she was “reduced to cowering behind the umpire’s chair”. What a brilliantly multi-purpose use of language: paternalistic readers can get heroically angry on her behalf while the others write her off as a snowflake.

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• American is currently ranked No 974 in the world
• Former world No 1 has been out of tennis for nearly a year

Venus Williams has been given a wildcard entry for the BNP Paribas Open, which would make next month’s tournament in Indian Wells her first event in nearly a year.

The 44-year-old hasn’t competed anywhere on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open on 19 March 2024. That was less than two weeks after she lost her opening match at Indian Wells.

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• Briton visibly rattled during defeat to Karolina Muchova
• WTA ‘actively working’ with player over her well-being

An emotional Emma Raducanu was knocked out of the Dubai Tennis Championships by Karolina Muchova, after a man in the crowd who had displayed “fixated behaviour” was ejected from the venue.

Raducanu appeared rattled and in tears as she went to the umpire’s chair after going behind 2-0 early in the encounter at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. The British player had become upset due to a man who she had seen in the front few rows of the stands.

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• Serbian says collaboration between pair is ‘indefinite’
• Djokovic over leg injury and competing at Qatar Open

Andy Murray will continue to coach Novak Djokovic through to the French Open – and possibly at Wimbledon.

Djokovic confirmed the Scot had agreed to continue their partnership, which began in the buildup to last month’s Australian Open. The 24-time grand slam champion said the collaboration was “indefinite”, opening the possibility of the former rivals also linking up at Wimbledon this summer.

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• Serb says anti-doping system ‘inconsistent’ and ‘unfair’
• Liam Broady feels convenience of the ban is ‘interesting’

Novak Djokovic has claimed the majority of players believe Jannik Sinner was shown “favouritism” with his three-month doping ban.

Sinner reached a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) over two positive drug tests in March last year. Sinner’s explanation that he was inadvertently contaminated with the banned substance clostebol by his physio was accepted by Wada, but the agency added that “the athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence”.

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• Raducanu wins 6-4, 6-2 in Dubai after four losses in a row
• ‘I’m really pleased with how I fought and competed’

Emma Raducanu ended her losing run in style with a straight-sets victory over Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the Dubai Duty Free Championships.

Raducanu came into the match on the worst run of results in her career, having lost four successive matches. But the former US Open champion made the ideal start with a break of serve in the opening game and rounded off a 6-4, 6-2 victory in fine fashion with her third ace of the 90-minute contest.

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• Italian will be suspended from the sport until 4 May
• Kyrgios and Henman among those critical of decision

Jannik Sinner has agreed to accept an immediate three-month doping ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) – a decision that was quickly met with criticism from inside the game, with Nick Kyrgios calling it “a sad day for tennis”.

Sinner, who successfully defended his Australian Open title last month, tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol last year which he said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.

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