LUKE LITTLER has shown support for Emma Raducanu following her stalker hell, saying what she went through was unacceptable.
Raducanu, 22, broke down in tears when a man who exhibited “fixated behaviour” turned up unexpectedly at her tennis match in Dubai.
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The individual – who had approached the former US Open champion the day before – was chucked out of the venue by security staff, arrested by police and has signed a restraining order.
Littler knows what it is like to experience instant worldwide fame through sporting endeavours and be pursued by legions of autograph and selfie hunters.
But while The Nuke will always try his best to help the fans out where possible, he feels punters should never overstep the mark.
Littler, 18, said: “Obviously the fans, they wait for us. They find out about every hotel that we stay at.
“They want pictures and stuff like that but when you’re getting stalked and followed, I think that’s just hitting a different level to be honest.
“Players and everyone, they will get pictures. Obviously, we all know we can’t take pictures with everyone. But I think following people, it’s a different level.”
After becoming world champion in January, Littler admitted he would like to meet Raducanu after she floated the idea of meeting up.
The duo share common ground in that both burst onto the scene as teen prodigies.
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Canadian-born Raducanu had said she would “love” to link-up following Littler’s Alexandra Palace win over Michael Van Gerwen.
She said last month: “Amazing respect to him.
“Big time [interested in meeting Littler]. I’d love to meet any top athletes and top individuals who have succeeded in their fields.”
Raducanu was back in action at the WTA event in Dubai this week but was reduced to tears after a man showed “fixated behaviour”.
She was comforted by opponent Karolina Muchova before bravely battling on before losing 7-6 6-4 following the man’s removal from the stadium on Tuesday.
The horror incident occurred a day after Raducanu received a letter from him outside the tournament perimeter.
The Dubai Media Office confirmed in a statement: “Dubai authorities have taken swift action to address an incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in accordance with local legal protocols.
“Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour 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.”
The man is reportedly from the UK but his exact identity remains a mystery.
Efforts were made to identify him before Raducanu’s match but they were unsuccessful.
The 2021 US Open champion released a statement on the shocking incident yesterday, saying: “Thank you for the messages of support.
“Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.
“Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”