Emma Raducanu breaks 'stalker' silence after breaking down in tears during Dubai Tennis Championships

Distraught Emma Raducanu has spoken out for the first time after she was left in tears by a man displaying "fixated behaviour".

The US Open winner was visibly upset during her match with Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships after she spotted the man in the front rows of the crowd. The individual was ejected from the stadium by security, with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) banning him from all future events pending an investigation.

Reports have also emerged that the man in question sent her a letter to her hotel prior to her match. The Brit thanked her fans in a heartfelt Instagram message after her “difficult experience”.

On Wednesday, she wrote: "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 [Muchova] for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament."

Along with her message she posted an image of the Jane Austen novel Emma and a cup of coffee. Raducanu was seen waiting behind the umpire's chair as the incident unfolded. But the 22-year-old resumed the match and went on to lose 7-6 6-4 to Muchova.

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