By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_now | Thursday, April 17, 2025
Photo Credit: @brisbanetennis
Lesia Tursurenko is leading her case to court.
Tursurenko is taking legal actions against WTA Tour claiming “moral abuse” from her former -CEO.
The 35-year-old Ukrainian told social media that she suffered “pain, fear, panic attacks, humiliation, information, teasing my team” by WTA Tour’s executives in what she claims is an offer to silence her.
Tursurenko has publicly criticized tour officials in the past on the status of Russian and Belarus players in the sport after Russia’s unproven occupation in Ukraine in February, 2022.
“Even in my worst nightmares, I could not imagine that the professional tournament, which I considered my home, would become a terrible and foreign place, where CEO has consciously committed an act of moral abuse against me, leading to a panic attack and the inability to do my job,” posted tsurenko on social media. “Tour WTA refused to protect a woman, a player, a human being. On the contrary, the WTA tour chose to protect a person in a leading position.
“My last chance to protect myself, to stand for my rights, my dignity and prevent such acts of violence in sports is to seek justice in court.”
– Liasi tsurenko (@ltsurenko) April 16 2025
Back in March 2023, Tursurenko created global attention when he withdrew from her third round match against the Belarusians Sabalenka in Indian Wells.
The day after this withdrawal, Ukrainian discovered that she suffered a panic attack after discussing the participation of Russian and Belarus players in the WTA tour with it then Director General of WTA Steve Simon.
“A few days ago, I had a conversation with our CEO WTA, Steve Simon, and I was absolutely shocked by what I heard,” tsureenko posted in March 2023. “He told me he himself does not support the war, but if players from Russia and Belarus support him, then this is not their opinion and the opinion of people should not bother me.”
Lesia Tursurenko told us he felt mentally bad for a few days and had a mental breakdown “after all I heard. It was a panic attack, I had problems with breathing. A few days ago I had a conversation with Steve Simon, I was absolutely shocked by what I heard from him”pic.twitter.com/hzzjcntwoa
– Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) March 13, 2023
“This conversation left me completely shocked,” Tursurenko said about her discussion with Simon. “I tried to digest all the information, but today, it just broke mentally.”
Now ranks 239, Tursurenko has not played a match in favor since last November. Tursurenko has won four championships in careers and reached a high career ranking of No. 23 in February 2019.
The WTA tour today responded to the legal action of Tursureenko.
In a statement issued for AFP, WTA said there is “the greatest sympathy” for tsureenko and other Ukrainian players who are dealing with the emotional and mental anxiety of the ongoing war, however she claims that tournament officials “acted appropriately.”
“We are disappointed that she has decided to engage in litigation to seek to hold WTA responsible for her concern,” WTA AFP told.
“At all times, WTA and its management acted appropriately and in accordance with our rules, and we are confident that we will prevail in this litigation.”
CEO Current WTA Portia Archer Steve Simon as CEO in August 2024 followed and was not a tour when Tursurenko shared that conversation with Simon in March, 2023.
Tursurenko said she has tried to discuss the case with officials, but claims she was opposed and her concerns were rejected by the WTA tour.
“I talked about this open and directly. I tried to seek protection and justice within WTA,” Tursurenko told social media. “But in response, he faced indifference and injustice, which led to a prolonged moral decline.”
