Tennis has found itself walking a delicate tightrope amid the infamous Ukraine-Russia conflict, with Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian players all part of the global tour. While current rules let Russian and Belarusian athletes compete without national symbols, some of the Ukrainian players are not happy with WTA’s handling of the situation and have refused post-match handshakes with their Russian counterparts at times. The Ukrainian veteran Lesia Tsurenko has now dropped a bombshell. In an emotional open letter, the 35-year-old has accused an unnamed tennis executive of mental abuse, pulling back the curtain on a dark chapter she claims unfolded behind the sport’s polished facade.

Lesia Tsurenko, once a World No. 23, has long been vocal about the emotional toll of competing amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict. In 2023, she notably withdrew from a match after suffering a panic attack, which she said was triggered by a distressing conversation with WTA leadership regarding the organization’s handling of the situation. Now, she has gone fully vocal, revealing plans for a lawsuit against WTA executives, claiming they failed to honor promises made to Ukrainian players about banning Russian and Belarusian athletes who publicly supported the war.

In an X post on Wednesday, April 16, the WTA ace wrote, “I spoke about it openly and directly. I tried to seek protection and justice within the WTA. But in response, I faced indifference and injustice, which led to a prolonged moral decline. Pain, fear, panic attacks, humiliation, withholding information, harassment of my team to silence me … and this isn’t even the full list of what I’ve had to endure,” 

Tsurenko continued, “The WTA Tour refused to protect a woman, a player, a human being. Instead, the WTA Tour chose to protect a person in a leadership position. My last chance to defend myself, to stand up for my rights, my dignity, and to prevent such acts of violence in sports is to seek justice in court.”

In 2023, Tsurenko had suffered a panic attack following a tense conversation with Steve Simon, who was the WTA CEO back then. During the exchange, she had raised concerns about the poor quality of balls used in Monterrey and voiced frustration over Russian and Belarusian players being allowed to compete in major events like Wimbledon and the Olympics. 

She also expressed feeling unsafe and unsupported by the WTA while traveling during the ongoing conflict. The emotional fallout led to her withdrawal from a match against Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells. 

In 2023, WTA’s Director of Safeguarding, Lindsay Brandon, informed Tsurenko that Simon would be investigated for a potential breach of the organization’s code of conduct. However, by October that year, the WTA concluded that Simon had not violated any part of its code or employee handbook. Tsurenko attempted to appeal the decision, but her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, leaving her deeply frustrated and still seeking accountability.

Following Tsurenko’s post on X on Wednesday, WTA addressed the situation and released a statement: “The WTA has taken numerous steps to assist our Ukrainian player members, who have faced great challenges as professional athletes. The WTA has been equally clear that it was founded on principles of equality and non-discrimination, and its rules provide that competitions are open to all women players who qualify based on their merit, and without discrimination. Consistent with those principles, and in common with other tennis organizations, the WTA has taken the position that individual athletes should not be penalized for the actions of their governments.”

But the controversy is not limited to social media anymore; Tsurenko has sued the WTA for emotional distress as well.

Lesia Tsurenko files the lawsuit against the WTA

In a lawsuit filed against the WTA Tour and its chairman, Mr. Steve Simon, in New York, Tsurenko has alleged breach of contract, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit reflects Tsurenko’s growing frustration with how this whole crisis has been handled by the WTA and how it has impacted the players from war-torn regions.

The lawsuit points to specific incidents, one where the Russian player Veronika Kudermetova wore a logo for her sponsor Tatneft, a company whose former subsidiary was sanctioned by the EU. Tsurenko argues that such acts should have triggered disciplinary action under the promises made by the WTA leadership.

The lawsuit from Tsurenko addressed, “Despite this promise. Neither Defendant Steve Simon nor Defendant WTA banned Russian and Belarus players who publicly supported the war.”

While the Russian and Belarusian players are still active on the tour amid the war, they have been asked to compete without national symbols. The players from these countries are participating as Individual Neutral Athletes.

Up until April 30, WTA can decide whether it will proceed with its motion to dismiss, which it filed in March. In the coming weeks, we will know whether the case moves forward or is thrown out entirely!