Iga Swiatek is given extra security protection at the Miami Open after being verbally harassed

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Iga Swiatek was given extra security protection at the Miami Open after being verbally attacked during a practice session by a man who had sent the five-time Grand Slam champion harassing messages via social media.

“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,” a statement from Swiatek's team said Wednesday. “We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as to the WTA ... which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful.”

The episode — first reported by BBC Sport — comes a little more than a month after a stalker was removed from a match being played by 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in Dubai.

“Ensuring the safety of the players is crucial — they are the ones at the center of the event — and it is our job to protect them,” the statement from Swiatek's team said.

The No. 2-seeded Swiatek lost to wild card Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Asked afterward whether the security situation disrupted her match preparation, Swiatek replied: “No, I wouldn't say so.”

“Player safety is our top priority. The WTA works closely with tournaments and their security teams on best practices for international sporting events to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants. There are comprehensive security protocols in place to make sure that any incidents are handled promptly and effectively," the WTA said. "The details of these are not something we discuss publicly, but we are steadfast in our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for players and everyone attending one of our events.”

The Miami Open issued a statement saying: “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.”

At the Dubai Championships last month, Raducanu said, she could barely breathe and her eyes filled with tears when a stalker who had approached her earlier in the tournament was in the stands during her match.

Raducanu spoke to the chair umpire, and the man was ejected from the court and later detained by police.

In 2022, an obsessive fan was given a restraining order after going to Raducanu's home three times.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, serves to Caroline Garcia, of France, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, hits a return to Caroline Garcia, of France, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Exxon Mobil’s first quarter profit slumped to the lowest level in years, stung by weaker crude prices and higher costs.

The oil and gas giant earned $7.71 billion, or $1.76 per share, for the three months ended March 31. It earned $8.22 billion, or $2.06 per share, in the year-ago period.

The results topped Wall Street expectations, but Exxon does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales. Analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected earnings of $1.74 per share.

Revenue totaled $83.13 billion, which fell short of the $84.15 billion that analysts were calling for.

This week, a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude fell below $60, a level at which many producers can no longer turn a profit.

“In this uncertain market, our shareholders can be confident in knowing that we’re built for this,” Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said in a statement Friday. “The work we’ve done to transform our company over the past eight years positions us to excel in any environment.”

Crude oil is down nearly 18% for the year to date, according to FactSet.

Oil prices plummeted last month, at one point sinking to a four-year low in anticipation of slowing economic growth due to a burgeoning trade war.

Trump announced far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty for both U.S. consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years.

Rapidly falling oil prices signal pessimism about economic growth and can be a harbinger of a recession as manufacturers cut production, businesses cut travel costs and families rethink vacation plans.

And there appears to be little appetite for turn off the spigots by some of the world's largest producers.

In December eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries signaled they would not cut production as they compete with production from non-allied oil producing countries.

The OPEC+ members decided at the time to postpone production increases that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The plan had been to start gradually restoring 2.2 million barrels per day over the course of 2025.

That process was pushed back to April 1 and production increases will gradually take place over 18 months until October 2026.

Shares of Exxon Mobil rose slightly before the market open.

FILE - Oil pumps work in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain, Sept. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)