"It's a lot for Emma Raducanu to have on her shoulders" - Nick Kyrgios gets real on Brit's exposure to stalkers after early career success 

Nick Kyrgios has empathized with Emma Raducanu over the Brit's exposure to stalkers and bettors following her rise to superstar status in tennis. Raducanu shot to overnight fame back in 2021, after winning the women's singles title at the US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier.

The Brit's stalker controversy reared its ugly head during her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova at this year's Dubai Tennis Championship. A male fan approached Raducanu 'exhibiting fixated behavior', according to an official WTA statement issued in the aftermath of the match. The incident led to the Brit experiencing a frightening, on-court panic attack.

Speaking to Talksport regarding the dark consequences brought by the fame that Emma Raducanu and other young tennis players enjoy, Nick Kyrgios said:

"It's very hard, the one solution is to maybe not manage your accounts, but these days these athletes have so much going on that you have to be in touch with it as well. It really is hard, for someone like Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu, who won a Grand Slam at a young age."

The Australian went on to highlight the risks of players being hounded by stalkers and bettors, before expressing empathy for Raducanu.

"And what comes with that is a lot of sponsorships, a lot of brand deals, but also a lot of crazy people. Stalkers, people that are betting on her... it's a lot for her to have on her shoulders in this day and age," Kyrgios added.

"Couldn't see the ball through tears" - Emma Raducanu's honest admission on harrowing stalker incident in Dubai

Emma Raducanu (Source: Getty)

At a press conference ahead of her campaign at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Emma Raducanu spoke up about her deeply disturbing experience involving the stalker in Dubai. The Brit said:

"I was obviously very distraught. I saw him in the first game of the match, and I was like, 'I don't know how I'm going to finish.' I literally couldn't see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, 'I need to just take a breather here.'"

Recently, it was confirmed that the stalker who had disturbed Raducanu in Dubai was on the lookout for tickets to this year's Wimbledon Championships as well. However, the grass Major's security prevented the man from entering the public ballot.

Raducanu's latest on-court outing came at the Lexus Eastbourne Open, where she suffered a second-round loss to Maya Joint despite winning the first set.

Edited by Sudipto Pati