Tennis fans are overjoyed to see Emma Raducanu smiling again after dealing with a stalker situation.
The former US Open champion was visibly upset last month when she noticed an obsessive fan in the stands during her match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The stalker had reportedly followed the 22-year-old to four different locations across three countries and even approached her in a cafe the day before her match.
He was apprehended by the police after being removed from the venue and subsequently received a restraining order.
Raducanu is determined not to let this unsettling experience prevent her from competing at Indian Wells in California next week.
She has been practicing at the stadiums, getting reacquainted with the courts, and even received guidance from Tommy Haas during one of her sessions.
Tennis enthusiasts were delighted to see her smiling and in good spirits after her practice with the retired tennis star.
Upon seeing a photo of Raducanu and Haas smiling on the court, fans took to social media platform X to express their relief and happiness.
One fan wrote, “Nice to see her smiling.”
Another commented, “Great to see Emma’s smiling.”
And another added, “Happy to see her smiling.”
One person remarked, “She’s happy and already hitting this year.”
Another chimed in, “Truly lovely to see Emma, arrived early Thurs, practising with the TD Tommy Haas. Yes everyone move on she is fine!”
Despite the unsettling incident, Raducanu managed to regain her composure after her stalker was removed from the stands, although she was eventually defeated by Karolina Muchova in the match.
In a statement, she expressed her gratitude for the support she received: “Thank you for the messages of support. 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. Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
