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LONDON:
Briton Emma Raducanu said she felt reassured about her safety after Wimbledon prevented a man who had been stalking her from buying tickets for the Grand Slam that begins on Monday.
The former US Open champion had been followed by the man to WTA events in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha earlier this year and she broke down in tears after noticing him during one of her matches at the Dubai Championships in February.
The man was given a restraining order by Dubai police and banned from all Tour events but officials at Wimbledon, which is organised by the All England Club, had to block him following a sweep of the public ballot applicants.
“Wimbledon and everyone did an amazing job,” Raducanu told the BBC. “I got a notification, the police contacted me and told me everything was OK.”
“I know that I’m not the first athlete to go through this, and I probably won’t be the last — not just as an athlete, but females in general.”
The 22-year-old, who had not yet been born when then world number one Monica Seles was stabbed in the back by a fan at an event in 1993, said she felt much safer with extra security at events.
“I have a lot more protection around me — especially the ones here in the UK, where it’s busy and there’s more spectators around. I feel a difference, and that reassures me and makes me feel more comfortable,” she added.
Raducanu also praised British number two Katie Boulter for sharing her experience of online abuse.
“I try and not read the comments or look at the messages because it makes you upset,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many positive comments you read, you are always going to remember the more negative ones — so I just try and stay away.”
