Emma Raducanu was left in tears and feared for her safety after a stalker targeted her in Dubai last week with the US Open champion set for extra security at the Indian Wells Open
Emma Raducanu has been offered additional security by the organisers of the Indian Wells Open, including an ex-secret service agent to ensure her safety.
This comes after a distressing incident in Dubai where Raducanu was brought to tears on court upon spotting a man in the crowd who had been displaying ‘fixated behaviour’. The individual has since been slapped with a restraining order.
The unsettling experience clearly affected Raducanu, and now the organisers at Indian Wells, which is considered the biggest tournament outside the Grand Slams, are prepared to bolster their security measures to guarantee her participation.
Bob Campbell, the WTA Tour’s vice-president of security, is set to play a key role in this. With a history of protecting some of the world’s most high-profile individuals, including during Bill Clinton’s presidency, Campbell brings 20 years of Secret Service experience to the table.
He joined the WTA in his current role in 2013, following a stint with Major League Baseball. According to The Times, the organisers at Indian Wells are keen to have the 2021 US Open champion in their line-up, especially after Raducanu’s security arrangements faced criticism.
Roman Kelecic, who has been temporarily coaching Raducanu, alleged that the ‘stalker’ from Dubai had been trailing her across tournaments in four different countries.
He revealed: “This man followed her to Singapore, to Abu Dhabi – where I was with her – again in Doha, now in Dubai and we noticed him. Initially we thought he was a fan… until he got physically close to her, started having contact in the form of selfies, hugging.”
The individual made his move on Raducanu while she dined at a tournament restaurant, a rare moment when she was unaccompanied, Kelecic pointed out to Croatian news source Net: “That was the only moment in a month where I, the fitness coach, the security guard who was with us, was not with her at that moment.
“So that man was assessing the situation and looking for the best moment to get closer to her. He had a strategy that was terrifying, he thought everything through, calculated it.
“It’s terrifying how much he, in essence, thought about it all and planned it. His strategy worked, and it was to get closer to her. That evening, we reported it immediately and again in the morning, when she was playing the match, because her safety is the most important thing to us.”