Tsurenko reveals reasons for her lawsuit: "I address the WTA's negligence toward Ukrainian athletes and the emotional harm I suffered"

Absent from the WTA tour since the BJK Cup playoffs with Ukraine last November, Lesia Tsurenko broke her silence in recent days. The world No. 241 had posted a lengthy message on social media, confirming her intention to sue the WTA for psychological abuse.

The 35-year-old Ukrainian specifically targets the organization’s former CEO, Steve Simon, who made remarks deemed inappropriate during the 2023 Indian Wells tournament. Tsurenko believes Ukrainian players have not received sufficient support from the WTA since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, in February 2022.

"This is an important lawsuit. The goal is partly to protect myself as a member of the Ukrainian tennis team and as a Ukrainian woman. The central issue can be summarized 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, supervisors, player relations staff, and the head of security.

Everyone heard what happened and knew what 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.

There were three internal investigations. I know the results of two of them. The third, concerning the head of security, was never shared with me. I don’t even know if the WTA is still doing anything about it.

At first, I was afraid to oppose the entire organization. I wanted to file a complaint against the CEO, but I feared the consequences. It was my coach, Mykyta Vlasov, who submitted the report about a month after that conversation. The WTA simply didn’t respond.

In this lawsuit, I address the WTA’s negligence toward Ukrainian athletes during an incredibly difficult period and the emotional harm I endured. I’m not asking for Russian or Belarusian players to be banned—that’s not part of the complaint.

There isn’t a single word about that. My Instagram was flooded with messages from people who completely lost their minds, some saying horrible things.

They think I’m suing to get Russians and Belarusians banned. That’s not what this is about at all," Tsurenko told the local outlet *Tribuna*.