Emma Raducanu removed her Instagram account after experiencing a stalking ordeal.
The British tennis player faced weeks of distress due to stalking by an obsessed fan during the Dubai Open in February.
Raducanu was seen crying after noticing the stalker early in her match. Her former coach stated the stalker had followed her for 3,600 miles.
Raducanu identified the man, who had approached her the previous day. He was removed by security and arrested by Dubai Police as she cried.
Although Raducanu dropped charges, the stalker signed a restraining order, prohibiting contact with her and banning him from WTA events.
Despite the ordeal, Raducanu returned to play at the Indian Wells Masters in California, stating she didn’t want to stop competing.
Ranked No. 61 globally, Raducanu had increased security at the WTA 1000 tournament, as the stalking had been ongoing for three months.
However, she lost in the first round to Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets.
She also faced criticism for allegedly violating Wimbledon’s dress code by wearing pink during practice before last year’s tournament.
The Daily Mail reported that she wore pink practice attire, which reportedly upset a member of the All England Club.
Raducanu then deactivated her Instagram account.
She had 3 million followers on Instagram.
It’s not confirmed if the Instagram deactivation is related to the stalking incident or another reason.
Recently, her Instagram bio was changed to “Ad astra per aspera,”.
This Latin phrase translates to ‘through hardships to the stars’.
Her next expected WTA event is the Miami Open.
She withdrew from the 2024 Miami Open due to injury, but is expected to compete this year.
