Emma Raducanu has admitted she is “wary” when she goes out following her stalker ordeal earlier this year.
The Briton, 22, was left cowering behind the umpire’s chair in tears after spotting a man who was “fixated” on her before and during a match against Karolina Muchova in Dubai in February. Raducanu said at the time that she “couldn’t see the ball through tears.”
In an interview with the BBC, she has said that the period was even more “difficult” due to being without a full-time coach. While she is now happier with new coaches Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday, the unsettling feeling off the court remains.
“I’ve definitely noticed a difference in how people are watching my back when I’m on the site [at tournaments],” she said.
“I’m obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you’re in that situation and I don’t necessarily want to be in that situation again.
“But off the court right now, I feel good. I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was kind of negative I’m just like trying to brush it off as much as I can.”
Raducanu also said she has found it tough dealing with negative headlines and social media comments, amid injuries and a decline in form since her remarkable US Open triumph in 2021.
“When you see those negative headlines, especially, it is really hard,” she added. “I’m someone who cares what people think and what people say. So it is not easy for me to deal with.”
Raducanu, who was knocked out of the French Open in the second round by Iga Swiatek, will feature in the inaugural women’s Queen’s Club Championships this week ahead of Wimbledon.
