Ukrainian tennis player Zurenko raises serious allegations against WTA

Ukrainian tennis player Zurenko raises serious allegations against WTA

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA - The Ukrainian tennis player Lessia Zurenko raises serious allegations against the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which she describes as unable to perform her tasks. Zurenko has started legal steps and reports "Pain, fear, panic attacks and humiliation". These allegations are part of their larger context in dealing with the WTA with the Russian attack war against Ukraine, which made the tour a "fearsome and foreign place" for them. Zurenko had previously expressed her dissatisfaction with the WTA and tried to find protection and justice within the organization, but encountered indifference.

In her allegations, Zurenko claims that the WTA has held information back in order to silence it. She had her last appearance on the WTA tour in November 2024. This situation raises questions about the responsibility and reactions of the WTA, in particular with regard to the participation of Russian and Belarusian players who can take part in the tour despite the conflict with neutral status. The WTA condemned the war of Russia against Ukraine and took measures to support Ukrainian players, but these steps for Zurenko seem to be inadequate.

reactions of the WTA

The WTA reacted to Zurenko's allegations and explained that it "acted in accordance with our rules". This indicates a possibly controversial position, since the organization moves in a field of tension between the requirements of its players and the geopolitical challenges.

The discussion about the WTA and its role in modern tennis is not new. The WTA, founded in June 1973 by the legendary Billie Jean King, is the main organization for professional women's tennis and has experienced many significant developments and changes in the past decades. It organizes the worldwide professional tennis tour for women and has more than 2,500 players from almost 100 countries who compete for a total of $ 146 million.

history and development of the WTA

The origins of the WTA go back to the first Virginia Slims tournament in September 1970. The "Original 9", a group of successful players, initiated a movement that promoted gender equality in tennis. This development resulted in 1973 in the first Grand Slam tournament, which awarded the same prize money for men and women, and continues to this day, with the achievement of equilibrium in prize money in all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2007.

The WTA has made great progress through its actions and initiatives, but also managed challenges again, as in the case of Peng Shuai in 2021, when the WTA suspended its activities in China and Hong Kong due to the geopolitical situation. These developments show that the WTA plays not only a sporty, but also an important social and political role.