Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko has filed an amended lawsuit that accuses the WTA Tour and its chairman, Steve Simon, of a breach of contract, negligence and the “negligent infliction of emotional distress” because of the way it has handled Russian and Belarusian players amid the war in Ukraine.
Tsurenko’s lawsuit states that she was forced to withdraw from an event at Indian Wells* because of a panic attack from having to potentially play against Russians and Belarusians**, and that she had “developed excessive stress, loss of concentration affecting her performance at tennis games, mortification and injury to her feelings.”
* Tsurenko has lost by retirement in nine of the 18 WTA tournaments she has participated in.
** Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko (95th in the WTA) was scheduled to play Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (2nd).