When Emma Raducanu sat for a question and answers session with an excited group of ball children in the Dubai tennis championship this week, she already had three weeks and four countries in a terrible experience. You wouldn't have known.
While Raducanu sat smiling and with her legs crossed, she presented questions about whether she had ever been a ball girl (no), whose past player would like to have played (Ashleight Barty) and what advice would offer candidates for tennis players ( they work hard daily).
Until now, so good for a woman that, even at the age of 22, she has become a long time ago in the art of responding difficult consultations. But children can be the most difficult inquisitors and, even if they are accustomed, although it may be to deal with full press rooms in the world's largest tournaments, the final question asked it momentarily.
“This is not a question related to tennis, but who is your falling celebrities?” A child asked.
'Who is my falling celebrities?' Raducanu repeated, laughing a little consciously while adjusting its upper part. 'I am focused on myself right now. I don't have time to fall in love.
The young Raducanu interrogator could hardly have known, but his research was closer to home than anyone could have imagined at that time.
There are many tones of falling in love, and for all reports, the man who received a restriction order this week in Dubai after following the former United States Open champion from Southeast Asia to the Persian Gulf was probably at the darkest end of the scale.
The lovers were probably the last thing Raducanu wanted A restriction order.
Emma Raducanu, seen here at the official players party, remained optimistic in public in the Dubai tennis championship, despite experiencing a terrible experience behind the scene
The former Roman Kelecy of Raducanu, who has recently been working with her, has affirmed that a man had been following her from one tournament to another.
Kelecic told the Croatian exit network that Raducanu was followed in four countries. “This man was followed by Singapore, Abu Dhabi, again in Doha, and now in Dubai,” Kelecic said
The revelation of character is a central principle of any sport, and tennis more than most. However, no athlete should have to take advantage of their mental strength simply to do their daily business. Given the details that have arisen about what Raducanu spent in the weeks prior to his appearance in Dubai, perhaps many critics would correspond to reassess their views on their perceived deficiencies.
The distressing scenes that took place early in his second round match against Karolina Muchva, when he visibly distressed himself after detecting his 'stalker' in the stands, were weeks in process.
“This man followed Singapore, Abu Dhabi, where he was with her, again in Doha, now in Dubai, and we noticed it,” said his former Roman Kelecy, who has been working with Raducanu recently.
'Initially, we thought he was a fan, admirer, because Emma is a really large tennis star with a large fan base. Until he physically approached her, she began to have contact in the form of selfies, hugging “
However, it was not until Monday, when the man arrived in Raducanu in a tournament restaurant, which became evident how closely he had been seeing the former British no 1.
“That was the only moment in a month in which I, the Fitness coach, the security guard who was with us, was not with her at that time,” Kelecic told The Croatian Outlet Net.
'Then that man was evaluating the situation and looking for the best time to approach her. He had a strategy that was terrifying, he thought everything, calculated.
'It's scary how much he, in essence, thought everything and planned it. His strategy worked, and it was to approach her. That night, we report it immediately and again in the morning, when I was playing the game, because its security is the most important for us. ''
Raducanu was distressed and crying after a man was repeatedly approaching Dubai Open
The former British number communicated with the referee after he seemed to notice someone who was watching the game
The player fought and returned to see the game, but could not fight after losing the first set
In purely sports terms, the incident could not have arrived at a worse time for Raducanu.
After having claimed a remarkable victory over Maria Sakkari in the first round, breaking a sequence of four consecutive losses, the worst streak of his short career, he hoped to maintain his impulse against Mulyova, another former opponent of the top 10. Instead , despite recovering to force a closer contest than it initially seemed likely, it was defeated in straight sets.
However, what is really shocking is that man could reach the stands. The authorities were completely informed about the situation in advance and a photo of the offender, who had taken the photo of Raducanu and left a letter earlier for the week, was distributed among the tournament security personnel.
Neither the WTA nor the organizers of the event arrested him, and it was not until an crying Raducanu reduced to shrink behind the referee's chair two games in the game that the man was identified and expelled.
“All security in the tournament has his photo and everyone knows who he is,” Kelecic said. 'The first game, two missing points, 15-15, Emma is on the other side of the court and shows us something.
'At that time, we didn't know what it was. Emma loses the first game and runs towards us, crying, shouting: “Here is, here, here is.”
Raducanu, who since then returned home, then thanked his Instagram follow -up of 2.6 million for his support.
“Thank you for the messages of support,” he wrote under a photo of a cup of coffee and a copy of Jane Austen's novel, Emma. “Difficult experience yesterday, but I will be well and proud of how I returned and competed despite what happened at the beginning of the game.”
Raducanu broke his silence in the incident with an Instagram history publication on Wednesday
Raducanu has been white of unwanted and worrying attention of obsessive fans in the past
Raducanu has been here before, of course.
In a case disconnected in 2022, a delivery driver of northwest London received a five -year restriction order after repeatedly visiting Raducanu's house. His words then offer an idea of what has happened in recent weeks.
“I feel that my freedom has been removed,” said Raducanu. 'I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I sit at the limit and worry that this can happen again.
Now he has done it, Raducanu is doing everything possible to put a brave face, changing his biography of Instagram to the Latin phrase 'ad astra per aspera' – 'Through adversity to the stars'.
However, the emotional toll of the episode seemed clear when he landed at Heathrow airport on Friday. He met his father cryingly, the mask he has used so well in recent weeks he finally slid, the scope of the evidence he has suffered was exposed.