Former Ukrainian No. 1 Launches Lawsuit Against WTA Over Claims Of 'Moral Abuse'
NewsSaturday, 19 April 2025 at 10:08
Former Ukrainian No. 1 Lesia Tsurenko has caused a stir by announcing a lawsuit against one of the WTA's CEOs, accusing them of an act of moral abuse.
The Ukrainian has not competed on the WTA Tour in 2025. Her last appearance was at a 125K tournament in the U.S, and her absence from the game since then had been something of a mystery.
That is no longer the case. In a shocking post released on her social media pages, Tsurenko said the women's professional circuit has become a terrifying place after a CEO committed abuse against her.
"Even in my worst nightmares, I couldn't imagine that the professional tour, which I considered my home, would become a terrifying and alien place, where the CEO of the organization consciously committed an act of moral abuse against me, leading to a panic attack and inability to do my job."
Tsurenko does not name the CEO she is referring to in the statement. Portia Archer has been the CEO of the WTA Tour since July 2024. She took over the position from Steve Simon, who moved to the role of chairman.
The 2018 US Open quarterfinalist stated that she received no support after revealing the abuse, and the WTA chose to protect the CEO instead of showing concern for what she went through.
"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."
"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."
While there is no way of knowing for sure who she is accusing at this stage, after Tsurenko's incident with Simon from 2023, it would be reasonable to assume the Ukrainian player is referring to the former WTA CEO.
The WTA's alleged indifference towards Tsurenko means the Ukrainian feels she has no choice but to pursue justice in court, a process the 35-year-old has been undertaking since the end of last year.
"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. And this is the path I'm taking since the end of last year. I pray to god no one will ever experience what I'm going through and that everyone is held accountable for their actions."
Lawsuits of this type are often lengthy and drawn-out affairs, and it is uncertain how long it will take to resolve Tsurenko's actions against the WTA. There remains a lack of clarity regarding the precise nature of the accusation and the WTA's response to it.
It does not seem like Tsurenko will be returning to the court anytime soon, so she can focus on the serious action she has taken against the governing body of women's tennis.
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