Raducanu 'comfortable and safe' after stalker blocked from attending Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu has praised Wimbledon organisers after blocking her stalker from buying tickets. The British tennis star was at the heart of a terrifying ordeal earlier this year as a result of the man.
He had followed her to four successive tournaments before handing her a letter and asked for a photo in a coffee shop. He was since handed a restraining order but ignored that instruction as he attempted to buy tickets for this year's championships at the All England Tennis Club.
But the organisation's security system alerted authorities that his name had been red-flagged and blocked his attempt to buy tickets as a result. Raducanu has now spoken out and has hailed the added security.
"Wimbledon and everyone did an amazing job. I got a notification, the police contacted me and told me everything was OK," Raducanu said to BBC Sport.
"I know that I am 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. It's just something that we all have to deal with at some point. "
'I feel okay, I feel comfortable, I feel safe. I've had great protection whenever I have been at these events recently," she added.
"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.'
Away from her own ordeal, Raducanu also praised fellow Brit Katie Boulter. She recently spoke out on the barrage of online abuse that she regularly receives and called on social media websites to take more action - a demand that Raducanu fully agrees with.
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"I'm glad Katie spoke out about it because it is something that we all go through," she said. "I try and not to read the comments or look at the messages because it makes you upset.
"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."
Raducanu only has a short wait to find out who she will take on at Wimbledon later this year. The draw for the 2025 edition takes place on Friday 27 June at 10am.
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