Ukrainian tennis star’s mental abuse lawsuit against WTA over Russian players dismissed

A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko, who accused the WTA Tour and its former chief executive, Steve Simon, of inflicting mental abuse.

The legal action stemmed from the organization’s handling of Russian and Belarusian players following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ms Tsurenko, once a top-25 player, alleged that the WTA failed to uphold a promise made by Mr Simon to ban Russian and Belarusian players who supported the war. She also claimed the tour did not prohibit “conduct detrimental” to the integrity of the game.

The 36-year-old cited specific instances, including a Russian player wearing a patch for a sanctioned Russian oil company.

She further stated that Mr Simon had told her it was “OK” for others to support the conflict.

Ms Tsurenko recounted suffering a “panic attack” that led her to withdraw from a match against Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka, now the world’s number one female player, at the 2023 BNP Paribas tournament in Indian Wells, California.

However, in a decision issued on Wednesday, US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan ruled that the WTA was best placed to determine what constituted detrimental conduct.

Judge Buchwald concluded that Ms Tsurenko had not demonstrated that the organization had a duty to ban players or to ensure the game was free from emotional abuse.

“When courts have found that sports associations owe a duty to their players, those duties relate to ensuring players’ physical safety, not their emotional wellbeing,” Judge Buchwald wrote.

The judge also noted that the WTA had employed “reasoned decision making” in the wake of the invasion, including prohibiting players from competing under the flags of Russia and Belarus.

Ms Tsurenko had sought damages for breach of contract and negligence, including the infliction of emotional distress. Lawyers for both Ms Tsurenko and the WTA did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

In their defence seeking dismissal, the WTA stated they had consistently condemned Russia’s actions and taken significant steps to support Ukrainian players.

They also argued that, like many sports leagues, the WTA believes individual athletes “should not be punished because of the actions of their countries’ governments.”

Ms Tsurenko has frequently spoken out about the considerable challenges of competing on the professional tour since the invasion began.