Raducanu stalker tried to apply for Wimbledon tickets

Emma Raducanu spotted the man in the crowd in Dubai before he was removed from the court

The man who was given a restraining order for stalking British tennis player Emma Raducanu earlier this year has been caught trying to apply for tickets for this month's Wimbledon Championships.

BBC Sport can reveal the All England Club's security system highlighted the man's name had been red-flagged, and blocked his attempt to enter the public ballot.

British number one Raducanu was left in tears after seeing a man who had followed her to four successive tournaments in the stands during a match at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

The man, who was removed, had given Raducanu, 22, a letter and asked for a photo in a coffee shop the previous day.

He was given a restraining order by Dubai police and his name was circulated around tennis authorities.

What happened in Dubai?

Raducanu was approached by the man near the player hotel in Dubai the day before her second-round match with Karolina Muchova.

He gave her a letter and took her photo, which unnerved Raducanu, who had been aware of his presence at tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha in preceding weeks.

Although she reported it to a member of her team, the information was not passed on to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) or the tournament until the following day.

The Briton hid behind the umpire's chair two games into her defeat when she spotted him in the crowd.

The man who "exhibited fixated behaviour" was removed from the stands and detained by local police.

Speaking after the incident, Raducanu told reporters: "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'."

'I'm always with someone and always being watched'

Raducanu shot to worldwide fame when she won the US Open as an 18-year-old in 2021.

She told BBC Sport soon after the incident in Dubai that it "could have been dealt with better" but that lessons have been learned.

"Since that incident I have definitely got increased attention and greater security," the 22-year-old said.

"I'm always now very aware and not necessarily doing things on my own any more.

"I'm always with someone and always being watched."

Raducanu has previously been the victim of a stalker, with another man given a five-year restraining order in 2022 after he walked 23 miles to her home.

Players 'should have confidence' in security

Sally Bolton, chief executive of All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said they spend a lot of time on ensuring security measures are tight at Wimbledon.

"We're liaising with the tours, with the Met Police, with other security agencies right through the year to think about the types of risks we need to look at and adjusting what we put in place.

"I would say to them [players] they should have confidence when they're here and if they are concerned on any basis they should come and talk to us about that because we can put bespoke arrangements in place."

What security steps are in place at SW19?

While Wimbledon bosses have confidence in their security provisions, which are reviewed annually, the issue has come into sharper focus this year.

It is estimated that around 1,000 people work in the field of security to some extent across the Championships.

In addition to the screening around the ballot, there are also more checks and balances when it comes to those in the queue.

Anyone gaining entry to the Championships that way will have to be registered with Wimbledon - meaning they've had to provide personal information.

In the grounds, as well as police and military personnel, there are other discreet members of the security team.

A team of fixated threat specialists are hired in and can assist the player escort team.

There are also behavioural experts who are trained to spot people acting strangely.

There is significant CCTV coverage on site, and if there are concerns around a particular player then a specific CCTV sweep will be done of the seats near to the player and their box.

On court, protection officers are positioned near the players, with more on Centre Court and No.1 Court.

If something spontaneous happens on site, there are response teams walking round the grounds who can come and support staff.

Security teams are also in regular contact with the referees' office to discuss issues like scheduling.