Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko has filed a lawsuit against the WTA Tour and its chairman, Steve Simon, citing breach of contract, negligence, and emotional distress due to the handling of Russian and Belarusian players in light of the war in Ukraine. The lawsuit alleges that the WTA did not follow through on assurances to ban players from Russia and Belarus who publicly supported the war, leading to distress and performance issues for Tsurenko.
Despite the WTA's condemnation of Russia's actions, Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete as "Individual Neutral Athletes" following the invasion of Ukraine. Tsurenko's lawsuit claims she suffered a panic attack and withdrew from a tournament due to the stress of potentially playing against Russian and Belarusian players. The WTA has moved to dismiss the case, asserting that it acted appropriately and in accordance with its rules, expressing disappointment in Tsurenko's decision to pursue litigation.