Iga Swiatek given extra security after being targeted by abusive fan at Miami Open
Published 26/03/2025 at 15:45 GMT
Extra security measures have been put in place for Iga Swiatek after the Polish world No. 2 was targeted by an abusive male fan at the Miami Open. The incident occurred during a practice session on Saturday at the WTA 1000 tournament and comes after Britain’s Emma Raducanu was the victim of a stalking episode at last month’s Dubai Tennis Championships.
Iga Swiatek speaks to the media during the 2025 Miami Open tennis tournament on March 24, 2025.
Image credit: Getty Images
Iga Swiatek has been given extra security at the Miami Open after being targeted by a male fan during a practice session at the WTA 1000 event.
The incident occurred on Saturday when the man is alleged to have shouted personal insults at the 23-year-old.
According to BBC Sport, the fan in question had previously sent abusive messages to Swiatek online before turning up in Miami.
"Security is a top priority," a spokesperson for Swiatek told AFP.
"We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another - this cannot be condoned."
"We reported the matter to the tournament organiser, as well as to the WTA, which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful."
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A spokesman for the Miami Open added: "We take the safety and security of all players and tournament attendees extremely seriously.
"We constantly evaluate any potential threats and take every measure to respond appropriately. To ensure the effectiveness of these efforts, we do not disclose the details of our security operations."
It comes after Britain’s Emma Raducanu was targeted by a male stalker "exhibiting fixated behaviour" at last month’s Dubai Tennis Championships.
The 22-year-old was visibly distressed during her defeat to Karolina Muchova in the second round and the man was subsequently issued with a restraining order and banned from WTA Tour events.
Swiatek has beaten Caroline Garcia, Elise Mertens and Elina Svitolina to reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open and faces wildcard Alexandra Eala for a place in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
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