Decoding the Unseen Challenges: Why Female Athletes Still Face Risks Despite Their Bravery
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Emma Raducanu became visibly emotional when she noticed a man exhibiting fixated behavior during her second-round match in Dubai on Tuesday. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by female athletes.
The man was subsequently detained by police and granted a restraining order following the event at the Dubai Tennis Championships. “When you realize someone is so obsessed with you that they’ll find ways to enter your court, it’s extremely stressful,” former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli told BBC Radio 5 Live.
BBC Sport explores why female athletes continue to feel unsafe and discusses the security measures in place along with potential improvements for their protection. Approximately one in five women experience stalking at some point during their lives, according to UK statistics. Being a well-known public figure exacerbates this risk; numerous female tennis players have faced predatory behavior recently.
Raducanu, 22, herself has been the victim of stalking; another man received a five-year restraining order in 2022 after walking over 23 miles to her home. Katie Boulter, an additional British player, described being followed both by car and on foot last year. American players Danielle Collins and Sloane Stephens have also spoken about harassment they’ve endured.
Bartoli shared a harrowing experience from 2007 when she was stalked during the British grass-court season; he pretended to be part of Wimbledon’s groundstaff, eventually gaining access to her court. Stephanie Hilborne of Women in Sport found this incident “deeply deeply concerning.” She believes that if an athlete reports someone for such behavior, there should be no chance of that person entering their immediate environment.
The WTA emphasizes player welfare and safety as a top priority, with increased security efforts for players under threat. However, critics argue that female athletes are inadvertently overexposed by being used as marketing tools, pushing them to share personal lives on social media and thereby placing themselves in greater danger of violence or harassment.
Anti-misogyny policies should be made mandatory and enforced through independent oversight, according to Women in Sport. Social media accounts spreading misogynistic content must also be deactivated immediately upon discovery. Hilborne urges men to stand alongside women to address these systemic issues within sports.
