BEIRUT: British tennis star Emma Raducanu has waived her complaint against an unidentified tourist who caused her “visible distress” during the Dubai Championships earlier this week.
On Thursday, it was reported that the Dubai authorities initiated legal action against the individual, who was identified as a “tourist” and remained unnamed, after the 2021 US Open winner lodged a complaint against him.
Raducanu was playing against 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the second-round on Tuesday evening when she was seen approaching the chair umpire in tears. The WTA later linked her reaction to the presence of the unidentified man, who security personnel removed from the first-row seats and ejected from the stadium.
Dubai Media Office issued a statement on X saying that the emirate’s authorities took swift action to address the incident “in accordance with local legal protocols.”
It said: “Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behavior that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
“While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments. Dubai remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to the emirate.”
In a follow-up comment, a legal expert told Arab News: “In such cases, the public right will not be pursued against the suspect considering that Raducanu has dropped her complaint. In such type of crimes, and as per the penal law and criminal procedures law, if a complainant drops their complaint then the case would be dismissed instantly.
“Also, if both parties (complainant and suspect) reconcile or reach a settlement, then the case would be dropped.”
The expert added that the suspect, if he has not been released, would be freed soon.
The WTA said that the individual has been banned from all its events pending a threat assessment.
The 22-year-old Raducanu lost the match 7-6(6) 6-4 but later said she was proud of how she responded after the “difficult experience.”
On Wednesday, having left Dubai, Raducanu said in a post on Instagram that she was “doing OK” after the “difficult circumstances.”
