Emma Radukanu said she felt safe about her safety after Wimbledon prevented the man who was stalking her from purchasing tickets for the Grand Slam tournament that began Monday.
The 2021 US Open Championship followed WTA events in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha earlier this year. She shed tears after realizing him in one of her matches at the Dubai Championship in February.
The man received a restraining order from Dubai police and was banned from all tour events, but Wimbledon officials, organized by the All England Club, had to block him after a sweep of official voter applicants.
“Wimbledon and everyone did a great job,” Radkanu told the BBC. “I got a notification. The police contacted me and said everything was fine.
“I know I’m not the first athlete to experience this. I’m probably not the last athlete. I’m not just an athlete, I’m a regular woman, not just an athlete.”
He is 22 years old from England, who was not yet born at the time. One Monica Ceres said she was stabbed in the back by fans at the 1993 event, and she felt she was more secure with the additional security at the event.
“I have more protections around me – especially here in the UK, it’s busy and there’s a lot more audience around. I feel a difference, and it makes me feel more comfortable,” Radkanu said.
Radukanu also praised UK No. 2 Katie Boulter for sharing her experiences with online abuse.
“Please don’t read comments or see the message because I’ll upset you,” Radkanu said. “The number of positive comments you read doesn’t matter. You’ll always remember more negative comments, so I’m just trying to leave.”
