Lesia Tsurenko has been struggling so much over the last years. Amid the ongoing war in her home country, Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion, she has also found herself in conflict with the WTA. In a letter published on social media, Tsurenko revealed that she filed a lawsuit against the WTA, accusing accusing an unnamed CEO of “moral abuse.” (It is presumed by many on social media to be Steve Simon, who stepped down at the end of 2023, but she does not state so specifically in the letter.)
“It’s time to tell the truth,” Tsurenko began, presumably referencing a private discussion she had concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict, at a time when Russian and Belarusian athletes were still barred from competing at Wimbledon.
A Dream Turned Nightmare
In her post, Tsurenko opened up about the emotional toll the alleged incident took on her as both an athlete and a person:
“Since I was a child, I dreamed of being a professional tennis player. I faced countless obstacles on my way to my dream. I gave all my strength, my soul, and everything I had inside. Being a professional athlete is hard work, and I believe all players will agree with me. It’s a job where you give 100% of yourself every day. Not even in my worst nightmares could I imagine that a professional circuit, which I considered my home, would turn into a terrifying place, where the CEO of the organization, consciously committed an act of moral abuse against me, leading me to a panic attack and the inability to do my job.”
Tsurenko went on to describe a cycle of emotional distress, failed support, and institutional silence:
“I spoke about this directly and openly. I tried to seek protection and justice within the WTA but, in response, I found indifference and injustice, leading me to prolonged moral decay. Pain, fear, panic attacks, humiliation, information concealment, and harassment of my team to silence me. And this is just part of the list of things I had to endure. The WTA failed to protect a woman, a tennis player, a human being. Instead, the women’s circuit chose to protect a person in a leadership position.”
— Lesia Tsurenko (@LTsurenko) April 16, 2025
Announcing Legal Action
Tsurenko concluded her statement by explaining her decision to pursue legal action, which she says began in late 2023:
“My last chance to defend my rights, my dignity, and prevent these acts of violence in sports is to seek justice in court. This is the path I have chosen since the end of last year. I pray to God that no one goes through what I have experienced and that everyone takes responsibility for their actions.”
The letter is very short on details, but if she has indeed filed a lawsuit against the WTA, I’m sure we will learn a lot of the specifics very soon.
Main Photo Credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
