Ukrainian Tennis Player Lesia Tsurenko Sues Wta And Its Chairman For Causing 'emotional Distress'

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, who was once among the world's top 25, claims in the lawsuit that WTA executives - including Simon, who was its CEO at the time - failed to follow through on assurances made in a meeting with Ukrainian players that the organization would ban Russian or Belarussian players who publicly supported the war with Ukraine.

The amended lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court for the Southern District of New York, cited examples such as Russian player Veronika Kudermetova wearing a patch at the French Open for sponsor Taneft, a subsidiary of a company that was sanctioned by the European Union for helping to supply the Russian army.

"Despite this promise," the lawsuit from Tsurenko claims, "neither Defendant Steve Simon nor Defendant WTA banned Russian and Belarus players who publicly supported the war."

The WTA said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday that it has been 'steadfast and clear in its condemnation of Russia's war on Ukraine and the actions of the Russian government against the Ukrainian people."