In complete safety in tennis paradise, Emma Raducanu returns to a night in hell of tennis. “I saw him in the first game of the match,” said Stalker 22 -year -old who appeared in the crowd for his match in Dubai two weeks ago. “I was upset. I was like, I don’t know how I’m going to end up. I could literally not see the ball through tears.
“I could barely breathe. I played Karolina (Muchova), who is in the top 17 in the world, and I don’t see the ball. And I’m like, I need to take a break here. The first four games escaped me because I was simply not on the field. It was a very good effort for me to continue playing in this scenario.
“It was a very emotional period. After the match, I am completely melted in tears. There was so much emotion. I needed a week of leave to take a break. I feel much better.
Raducanu returned directly to London and the arms of his mother and his father. She was about to jump from Indian wells, but what better way to banish dark memories than a return to self -proclaimed tennis paradise – an oasis of beauty in the middle of the mountains and palm trees.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play here. I didn’t know if I was going to be ready, ”she says. “It was a big shock.
“The appeal of the Indian Wells being my favorite tournament, I couldn’t really get away from it.
Emma Raducanu is about to return to action for the first time since her hunt
Raducanu thought about how a harasser in Dubai Open last month had left him “distraught”
The 22 -year -old said that she could “barely breathe” and could not see the ball through his tears
“Since I was here, I have definitely came to myself much more and I feel happier, feeling more like me. I am happy to have made this decision.
She also looks happy, deeply tanned by the Californian sun, smiling and relaxed after a cold break from tennis.
“I landed in London and I made a week of break, a week of … nothing. It was nice. I did not practic, I read a lot. I finished two pounds (one rightly, was Emma de Jane Austen) and spent most of my time in Gail (The Swish Coffee Shop and Bakery Chain) and Waterstones.
Here in California, Raducanu has received additional protection – since this conversation with a small group of British journalists is monitored by two security guards. But she decided not to use personal and out -of -site safety.
“This tournament, I had a lot of security with me,” she says. “It’s incredible to feel protected, to feel safe. I am very grateful for the tournament for that.
“When I’m far from the courts, I have no private security at the moment, but I’m still with someone who could lift the alarm or help.
“Since the incident in Dubai, I have been much more aware, when before, I might have done walks alone, now I am not going anywhere. I am almost chaperons everywhere.
This constant vigilance with danger looks like a terrible burden for a young woman to bear.
The British star admitted that she had come closer to jumping Indian wells after the incident
The British star shared optimistic photos on social networks before playing Indian Wells
Raducanu revealed that she felt better to have made the decision to play the Californian event
Raducanu, 22, received additional protection and admits that she has become more prudent
She was approached twice by the man and said that the second incident was “really worrying”
“When I’m on and around the site, everything is fine. Mike (she indicates one of the strong gentlemen) does an incredible job to stay in the shade, he is still there but you cannot necessarily see it. If they do it like Mike, it’s not a burden at all.
We return to the incident in Dubai. A man who had tracked up Raducanu in four countries approached him in a cafe, giving him a letter with his contact details and a photo. She reveals that it was one of the two meetings in Dubai, before man then appeared on his court.
“There were two cases and it was the second when I collapsed,” she said. “The first was more like a normal fan who approached you, except for the fact that he told me that he followed me everywhere.
“And then he looked at me in the coffee for a while and the second incident was really worrying.
What can be so difficult for tennis players is to judge which superfans are harmless and who are potentially dangerous. For example, Raducanu has a fan that follows it all over the world, encouraging the stands.
“With Mark, he is noisy, he is there, he is in the front row, he wears an Emma shirt,” explains Raducanu. “These are those of the shadow that are more nervous. It is the hidden that are more frightening.
In a depressing way, looking over his shoulder becomes a reflex for Raducanu.
“In England, it is quite difficult for me to go out,” she says. “Sometimes I had neck pain to look at the floor so much with a cap.
“It comes with the territory. I am grateful for all the positive support and the love I receive from my fans.
“You have to run it in a positive because otherwise, if you look at it in the other direction, it could easily bring you.”