Raducanu Knocked Out After Emotional Match Amid Standoff with Ejected Spectator

Dubai, UAE – Emma Raducanu‘s second-round match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships ended in tears as she suffered a 7-6(6), 6-4 defeat to 14th seed Karolina Muchova on February 18, 2025. The match was overshadowed by the ejection of a man from the crowd, who displayed concerning behavior towards the British player.

Raducanu, ranked No. 61 in the world, appeared visibly shaken during the match, especially after falling behind 4-0 early on. Following a distressing start, she was seen heading to the umpire’s chair in tears, prompting a brief pause in the action as she collected herself. The individual exhibiting fixated behavior had earlier been identified in the stands and was subsequently removed from the venue.

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed that the man would be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment. “Player safety is our top priority, and we are working closely with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being,” a WTA representative said.

Despite the emotional turmoil, Raducanu mounted a commendable comeback from her dreadful start to ultimately force a tiebreak in the first set. She saved two set points before taking it to 6-6, but Muchova clinched the opening set 7-6(6) after Raducanu failed to capitalize on a set point of her own.

The match continued to be competitive in the second set, but Muchova broke Raducanu early, establishing a lead that proved difficult for Raducanu to overcome. Following another tightly contested game, where Raducanu missed three break point opportunities, Muchova sealed the match with a final score of 6-4.

The defeat means Raducanu will not advance to the last 16, where she could have faced American McCartney Kessler, who upset world No. 3 Coco Gauff earlier in the day. This loss marked a challenging chapter for Raducanu, who won her first-round match against Greece’s Maria Sakkari, thereby ending a frustrating four-match losing streak.

Raducanu, the champion of the 2021 US Open, is now looking towards future competitions, including the inaugural women’s tournament at Queen’s Club in London set for June 2025.

In other matches from the Dubai Championships, Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1, won against Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-4, while second-seed Iga Swiatek dominated Victoria Azarenka, winning 6-0, 6-2. Jasmine Paolini also advanced by defeating Germany’s Eva Lys 6-2, 7-5.