Emma Raducanu stalking: former Secret Service agent behind WTA operation to protect tennis player in Indian Wells

In the run-up to Indian Wells , the so-called "fifth Grand Slam of tennis", there is a name that sounds and resonates in the universe of the WTA , the entity that brings together the women's circuit: Emma Raducanu .

The 22-year-old Briton was in the news last week for an unfortunate incident when she was harassed by a supporter during the match and the authorities are trying to secure her presence. Among them, one man is obsessed with providing her with all the necessary security: Bob Campbell .

Campbell's resume has gone from protecting top world leaders in the White House to being in charge of the most famous sports superstars. He worked in the Secret Service for two decades from 1983, according to American media, and more specifically served near the so-called Oval Office during Bill Clinton 's administration in the nineties.

From the big leagues of American politics he moved to the big leagues of baseball but closer to home, in Washington . Old Bob first took charge of security for the Nationals, a historic franchise that was born in Montreal and chose to move to DC, and then "rose" to become head of the entire MLB . He was just a few years away from trading bats for rackets: in 2012 he landed at the WTA , where he serves as vice president of the association created by Billie Jean King more than half a century ago, looking after the well-being of its athletes.

It is Cambridge's responsibility to pre-screen each WTA event, and its innovations on the women's circuit include the inclusion of surveillance via drones and stricter control of the accreditations of all staff working around the tournaments.

Her area has been under scrutiny since the Dubai episodes, when Emma discovered during a match that among the audience was a man who had persistently harassed her the day before in a public cafeteria within the tennis complex where the competition was taking place.

She was two games into her second-round match against Karolina Muchova , and the 2021 US Open winner was 0-2 up when she approached the umpire, exchanged a few words, and hid behind her chair to break down in tears. The man was later evicted, arrested by local police , and banned from tournaments for a year by the WTA the next day. It later emerged that the same person had been after Raducanu in four other countries since January , according to her coach Roman Kelecic.

"It was a difficult experience yesterday, but I'm going to be fine and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match," said Emma once the situation became clearer against Muchova, to whom she ended up losing in a tight 7-6 (6) and 6-4.

Raducanu left the Middle East and returned home to the British capital to recharge her batteries and decide on the next steps in her career, with the Indian Wells tournament, which starts on March 5, first on the calendar.

According to The Times , the WTA, headed by Campbell, has offered her up to five personal bodyguards to keep an eye on her both inside the tennis complex that holds more than 16,000 spectators in California, and on her transfers to her hotel. Everything points to Raducanu accepting the offer this time.

Emma had already been the victim of an equally or even more terrifying episode a couple of years ago, when her family reported a man who approached the door of their house with "gifts" of all kinds. Amrit Magar , 35, was arrested after calling the police alerting them of his disturbing presence in the vicinity of his home in London .

Magar, an Amazon delivery man who lost his job during the pandemic and became obsessed with watching the tennis player’s matches, showed up at the Raducanu home three times: once with a bouquet of roses and a note signed by his wife and dog ; once with a postcard in which he drew the route from his house to hers and the text “I walked 23 miles for you” ; and once in the days before Christmas, when he put up lights and decorations on a tree, threw trash through the mailbox and took a sneaker that he thought was Emma’s but that was actually her father’s to keep as a souvenir.

That first harasser received several punishments, including being banned from approaching Emma or her family for five years. “I don’t feel safe even in my own home ,” declared the tennis player at the time, who had just shot to fame as the US Open champion, surprising everyone in qualifying.

However, after that altercation, both she and the agency that represents her (the same one that sponsored Maria Sharapova ) decided not to hire security personnel to accompany her during the tour. Now it is the WTA that is willing to do everything possible to protect her.

"Player safety is our top priority and we advise tournaments on best practices for safety at international sporting events," the WTA said last week when revealing Raducanu's injury in Dubai, adding that it is "actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide her with all necessary support."

In recent days, the tennis player changed her Instagram bio to the caption " ad astra per aspera ," which in Latin means " to the stars through difficulties ."

Ranked 55th in the WTA rankings , her qualification for the main draw at Indian Wells is guaranteed, and her chances of participating in the more than $9 million in prize money depend on her (the winner receives more than a million and losing in the first round means collecting more than $30,000).

If she plays on American clay, Emma will be looking to surpass her best performance in that tournament, when she reached the round of 16 of the 2023 edition and lost to Iga Swiatek. The eyes of the tennis world will be watching her return to the circuit, but especially those of the WTA security staff.