'TIME TO TELL THE TRUTH': UKRAINIAN VETERAN EXPOSES 'MORAL ABUSE' RECEIVED FROM UNNAMED CEO

Lesia Tsurenko is taking action in court following allegations of abuse. (Getty/Vaughn Ridley)

Former world No.23 Lesia Tsurenko has broken her silence, revealing she has been subject to "moral abuse" which led to "panic attacks", resulting in escalating the issue to court after blasting the WTA's approach.

Tsurenko, 35, hasn't featured competitively since November last year when she reached the semi-finals of a WTA 125k event in Michigan.

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The main reason why she has remained inactive on tour in 2025 is because of the mental stress endured as a result of abuse from an unnamed CEO.

She wrote a passionate statement on social media to raise awareness around her issue, with many speculating that the unidentified CEO is Steve Simon, who stepped down at the end of 2023.

"It's time to tell the truth. Since childhood, I dreamed of a career as a professional tennis player. I went through countless trials and obstacles on the path to my dream. I poured all my strength, my soul, my entire self into it," Tsurenko wrote.

"Being a professional athlete is tough work, and I think all the players would agree with me. It's a job where you have to give 100 per cent every single day.

"Even in my worst nightmares, I couldn't imagine that the professional tour, which I considered my home, would become a terrifying and alien place, where the CEO of the organisation consciously committed an act of moral abuse against me, leading to a panic attack and my inability to do my job.

"I spoke about it openly and directly. I tried to seek protection and justice within the WTA. But in response, I faced indifference and injustice, which led to a prolonged moral decline. Pain, fear, panic attacks, humiliation, withholding information, harassment of my team to silence me...and this isn't even the full list of what I've had to endure.

"The WTA tour refused to protect a woman, a player, a human being. Instead, the WTA tour chose to protect a person in a leadership position.

"My last chance to defend myself, to stand up for my rights, my dignity, and to prevent such acts of violence in sports is to seek justice in court. And this is the path I'm taking since the end of the last year.

"I pray to God that no one will ever experience what I'm going through and that everyone is held accountable for their actions."

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