"I don't know what will happen tomorrow," Tsurenko discusses a possible return to the tour
Tsurenko has disappeared from the radar. The Ukrainian, who was still world number 115 at the start of the season, has not played a single match in 2025. Constant pain in her elbow forced her to undergo surgery last June, but the 36-year-old player has also initiated legal proceedings against Steve Simon, the former CEO of the WTA, in recent months.
Physical but also psychological injuries are therefore at the origin of her forced break. And even though she resumed training in August, Tsurenko, a former world number 23, still does not know if she will be able to make her return in the coming months.
"I cannot answer you with certainty regarding my return. I cannot answer that question myself. Unfortunately, various factors forced me to stop. These are physical and psychological factors. As you know, I had a problem with my elbow and I had to have surgery.
I played for a very long time despite the pain, probably six years. The pain was variable, more or less intense. Most of the time, my performance depended on the intensity of the pain I felt. At one point, it became really unbearable, which is why I am very happy to have finally undergone surgery. The recovery is not easy, because my elbow has been under significant stress for a long time, it is damaged.
The mental factors are also very important, because at one point, I felt that I could no longer bear being on the tour. I could not fully concentrate on matches and, in fact, the entire year 2024 was very difficult for me. It was maybe 50/50: my elbow and the inability to detach myself from what was happening around me, my disagreements with the WTA... All of this led me to a point where I decided that I needed to take a break.
If I look to the future, I am of course thinking about my protected ranking. There are several options. From what I know, with a protected ranking, I have the right to enter several major tournaments, but to regain form, it can be useful to participate in smaller tournaments.
I am not ruling anything out, honestly. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. To be frank, I feel very calm at the moment. I don't know what might happen tomorrow. I am open to all possibilities and I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on myself," Tsurenko assured Tribuna in recent hours.
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