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British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu has expressed a profound sense of liberation, stating she no longer feels the need to conceal herself following a distressing incident earlier this year involving an individual who exhibited what she described as “fixated behaviour.”
Millenium TV has learned that the 2021 US Open champion experienced significant distress and was visibly upset when she encountered the man, who had reportedly followed her to four consecutive tournaments, present in the stands during a match in Dubai this past February. The individual had approached Raducanu in a coffee shop the day before, handing her a letter and requesting a photograph. Dubai police subsequently removed the man and issued a restraining order against him.
While Raducanu confirms she has “got over” the incident, she admits to occasional unease, particularly when encountering unsolicited photographs of herself. “What did creep me out was I saw a photo of myself in London, and I didn’t see the paparazzi [photographers] taking it,” the 23-year-old athlete explained. “I was with my two best friends. I just didn’t see the ‘paps’. That’s obviously creepy, when you’re like: I didn’t see them – how did they take this photo?”
Despite this, Raducanu emphasized a prevailing sense of security. “But other than that, I feel good because someone’s always watching my back,” she added. Earlier this year, she had indicated feeling safer at tournaments but remained cautious when venturing out in public.
Currently, Raducanu is refining her skills under coach Francisco Roig in Barcelona. However, recent weeks have seen her frequently commuting to London by train from her parents’ home in Bromley. She revealed that she is growing more accustomed to being recognized during her travels.
“In rush hour, people are so locked in to their world. They’re not really paying attention and probably not expecting to see me either,” Raducanu noted, describing the busy atmosphere. “I have my hood up, or whatever, but they’re just so focused and absorbed in their own world. It’s all so crazy. It’s like everyone’s on a mission. You have to get the elbows out, just to get through.”
She concluded, expressing a newfound openness: “If people recognise me, if people see me, and they want to come up to me, then that’s great, but I don’t necessarily feel like I’m hiding from anything any more.”
© Millenium TV
