Ukrainian tennis player accusations
“Pain, fear, panic attacks, humiliation”
04/17/2025 – 10:38 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Lessja Zurenko gave her professional debut 18 years ago. Since then, the Ukrainian tennis player has experienced a lot – most recently, according to her own statements.
Lessja Zurenko has made serious allegations to the Women’s Professional Proition WTA in a public statement. The Ukrainian tennis player reports on psychological stress and accuses the player organization of having abandoned them.
The 35-year-old, who was last active on the tour in November 2024, published a detailed statement on platform X. There she wrote of “Pain, Fear, Panician Teasts, Membership”, which she had experienced on the tour. She did not give the exact reason for her current allegations, but emphasized that she had taken legal action.
In the article, Zurenko also commented on the role of WTA in connection with the Russian attack war against Ukraine – her homeland. That was why she had criticized the organization in the past.
She tried to “find protection and justice within the WTA,” writes Zurenko. Instead, she was faced with “indifference and injustice”. The WTA refused to protect it. In addition, she was withheld from her information in order to silence her.
In her post it continues that she could not imagine in her “worst nightmares” that the tour “would become a fearsome and strange place”. She is currently unable to do her work.
The WTA reacted to the allegations on the DPA request. She “acted appropriately and in accordance with our rules at all times,” said the organization. On the tennis tour, Russian and Belarusian tennis players are allowed to compete with neutral status after the beginning of the war of aggression. The statement also said: “From the beginning, the WTA steadfastly and clearly convicted the war of Russia against Ukraine and the Russian government’s approach to the Ukrainian people.”
The WTA “took numerous steps to support our Ukrainian players”. The organization takes the view that “individual athletes should not be punished for the actions of their governments”.