Tsurenko, in Conflict with WTA, Undergoes Right Hand Surgery

Absent from the courts since November 2024 and her participation with Ukraine in the BJK Cup, Lesia Tsurenko continues to drop in the rankings. Still ranked 115th in the world in January, the 36-year-old player is now 278th and is unlikely to make her return anytime soon.

The former world No. 23 recently broke her silence to express her intention to sue the WTA for psychological violence, citing the organization's lack of support for Ukrainian athletes since the war in her country began.

"This is an important lawsuit. The goal, in part, is to protect myself as a member of the Ukrainian tennis team and as a Ukrainian woman. The central issue can be summed up as 'negligent treatment.'

I’ve spoken publicly about the uncomfortable conversation I had with the former WTA CEO, Steve Simon, at Indian Wells in 2023. It’s no secret. He told me certain things.

I went through a long internal process. Even at Indian Wells, I reached out to every possible WTA representative: the psychologist, the WTA vice president, the supervisors, player relations staff, and the head of security.

Everyone heard what happened and knew what had occurred. But nothing was done. That alone made me break down in tears because what he told me was terrifying. And it was completely ignored," Tsurenko explained in late April to justify her complaint.

However, her return to the tour will be delayed once again. On her social media, Tsurenko announced that she had undergone right hand surgery, adding a tongue-in-cheek message: "I’ll have to be left-handed for a while."