Tennis enthusiasts are thrilled to see Emma Raducanu smiling once again after a distressing stalker incident.
The former US Open champion was visibly upset last month when she noticed an obsessive fan in the stands during her match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The stalker had reportedly followed the 22-year-old to four different locations across three countries and even approached her in a cafe the day before her match.
He was apprehended by police after being removed from the venue and subsequently received a restraining order.
Raducanu is determined not to let this unsettling experience prevent her from competing at Indian Wells in California next week.
The British player has been familiarizing herself with the stadiums during practice sessions, including one where she received guidance from Tommy Haas.
Tennis fans were delighted to see her smiling and positive after the session with the retired tennis star.
Upon seeing a photo of Raducanu and Haas smiling on the court, fans expressed their joy on social media platform X.
One fan wrote: “Nice to see her smiling.”
Another commented: “Great to see Emma’s smiling.”
And another added: “Happy to see her smiling.”
One fan noted: “This is this year, she’s happy and hitting already.”
Another added: “Truly lovely to see Emma, arrived early Thurs, practicing with the TD Tommy Haas. Yes everyone move on she is fine!”
Raducanu managed to regain her composure after her stalker was removed from the stands, although she was eventually defeated by Karolina Muchova in the match.
In a statement, she said: “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 for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
