A US judge has dismissed a mental abuse lawsuit brought by Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko against the WTA Tour regarding its handling of Russian and Belarusian competitors following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The legal action originally stemmed from the 36-year-old’s allegations that the governing body and its former chief executive, Steve Simon, failed to adequately protect players’ emotional wellbeing.
Tsurenko, a former world top-25 player, claimed the organisation broke a promise to ban athletes who actively supported the war.
Duty of care focused on physical safety
In her ruling in Manhattan on Wednesday, US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald determined that the tour was best positioned to decide what constitutes detrimental conduct within the sport.
The judge concluded that the Ukrainian had not successfully demonstrated that the organisation held a legal obligation to ensure the game remained completely free from emotional distress.
“When courts have found that sports associations owe a duty to their players, those duties relate to ensuring players’ physical safety, not their emotional wellbeing.”
Judge Buchwald also noted that administrators employed reasoned decision-making in the aftermath of the conflict, which included forcing competitors from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutral athletes.
Panic attack and Indian Wells withdrawal
The experienced baseline specialist had previously highlighted specific incidents that exacerbated her distress on the professional circuit.
These included an accusation that Simon had told her it was acceptable for others to support the ongoing conflict, alongside claims regarding a Russian player wearing a patch for a sanctioned oil company.
The emotional toll culminated in a documented panic attack that forced the Ukrainian to withdraw from a scheduled match against current world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 Indian Wells tournament.
WTA defends stance on individual athletes
The claimant had been seeking damages for both breach of contract and negligence, including the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In their successful defence, representatives for the women’s tour maintained they had consistently condemned the military actions while taking significant steps to support affected Ukrainian members.
The governing body successfully argued that individual athletes should not face professional punishment solely based on the political actions of their respective national governments.
Legal representatives for both the player and the tennis organisation have not yet publicly commented on the ruling.
Frenchman Arthur Fils has reached his first Masters semi-final at the Miami Open by saving four match points to defeat Tommy Paul following an eight-month injury absence.
The 21-year-old staged a remarkable comeback from the brink of defeat, winning six consecutive points in the deciding set despite struggling with severe cramps.
He had previously spent the better part of a year sidelined with a lower back stress fracture sustained during a memorable Roland Garros campaign last May.
That severe injury halted a rapid rise up the rankings which had previously seen the explosive striker establish himself at a career-high 14th in the world.
Dramatic return to the elite
Facing elimination against his American opponent in Florida, the returning star battled through significant physical discomfort to secure a monumental victory.
His triumphant celebration echoed his famous five-set victory over Jaume Munar in Paris, as he joyously lifted his shirt over his head to roar at his coaching box.
The protracted absence was deeply frustrating for the young prospect, who was forced to watch rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominate the tour while he underwent rehabilitation.
Fellow young stars Jack Draper and Holger Rune also suffered untimely setbacks during that period, leaving a noticeable void of emerging challengers on the men’s circuit.
New coaching setup yields immediate results
Prioritising a full physical recovery, the right-hander opted to play it safe and skip January’s Australian Open before making a competitive return at Montpellier in February.
His ongoing comeback has been heavily bolstered by the high-profile appointment of former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to his backroom team.
Partnering with the legendary Croatian, who famously guided Novak Djokovic to 12 Grand Slam titles, represents a major statement of intent.
The new partnership quickly produced a final appearance at the Qatar Open, although that impressive run ended with a heavy straight-sets defeat to Alcaraz.
Reflecting on that incredibly brief 50-minute Doha final, the defeated runner-up could only marvel at the Spaniard’s relentless level.
“It was a joke.”
Arthur Fils
Coco Gauff has secured her place in the Miami Open semi-finals after overcoming Belinda Bencic in an epic quarter-final encounter in Florida.
The American star produced a resilient performance to move past her experienced Swiss opponent and advance to the final four.
Bencic tested the home favourite throughout the gruelling contest, but ultimately fell short against the dynamic young talent.
Home favourite continues impressive hard-court run
Reaching the latter stages in Miami represents another significant milestone for the hugely popular Florida resident.
The former Olympic gold medallist pushed her to the limit, ensuring the passionate crowd were treated to a thrilling tennis spectacle.
Gauff will now prepare for her upcoming semi-final clash as she looks to claim one of the most prestigious titles on the WTA Tour.
Eyes on the Miami Open prize
The high-profile tournament is considered one of the most demanding events outside of the four Grand Slams.
Securing the coveted trophy on home soil remains the ultimate objective for the lightning-fast baseliner.
Jannik Sinner has broken Novak Djokovic’s 10-year record for consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events following a dominant straight-sets victory over Corentin Moutet at the Miami Open.
The Italian world number two dispatched his French opponent 6-1 6-4 in just 71 minutes to comfortably reach the last 16.
He has now claimed 26 consecutive sets at the prestigious tier of tournaments sitting strictly below the Grand Slams.
This remarkable run definitively eclipses the previous benchmark of 24 straight sets established by the 24-time major champion Djokovic.
Unstoppable run towards the Sunshine Double
The 24-year-old initially equalled the historic milestone during his opening match against Damir Dzumhur.
He has remained flawless across recent Masters 1000 appearances, securing titles at Indian Wells earlier this month and Paris last November without dropping a single set.
“I am very happy. This sport is unpredictable, so we try to keep attention as much as we can and we’ll see what is coming in the next round.”
The four-time Grand Slam winner heavily controlled the contest against Moutet from the absolute outset.
He won 19 of the initial 26 points before effortlessly wrapping up the first set in a rapid 22 minutes.
Medvedev exits amid bizarre spider cam drama
The dominant Italian will now face American Alex Michelsen in the next round.
He is fiercely bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ of winning both Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock exit at the hands of Francisco Cerundolo in the last-32 stage.
The Argentine triumphed 6-0 4-6 7-5 to eliminate the recent Indian Wells conqueror of Carlos Alcaraz.
The third-round encounter featured an unusual delay when umpire Mohamed Lahyani’s elevated chair became briefly entangled with the aerial spider camera.
“I didn’t know what to expect, it was a great match, super tough.”
“It was my first match against Daniil. He’s probably one of the only guys on tour who I have never played. He has had a great year so far.”
World number one Aryna Sabalenka and fourth seed Coco Gauff have progressed to the Miami Open quarter-finals, while Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock third-round exit.
The reigning champion required just an hour and 25 minutes to dispatch China’s Zheng Qinwen in a convincing 6-3 6-4 victory.
The 27-year-old Belarusian, who has captured the past two US Open titles, continues to display serene form on the Florida hard courts.
She will next face American Hailey Baptiste, who secured her own last-eight spot by defeating Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
Gauff overcomes sketchy display on home soil
Fourth seed Gauff also reached the quarter-finals following a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 6-2 triumph over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
The 22-year-old American survived a difficult serving performance, committing six double faults and suffering five breaks of serve.
The hometown favourite entered the event carrying a left arm nerve issue that forced her retirement at Indian Wells earlier this month.
“I want to win this tournament so bad because it is my home tournament,” said Gauff.
“But I didn’t have the best preparation, so setting expectations lower allows me to free up and not expect too much of myself.”
Spider cam scare overshadows Medvedev defeat
In the men’s draw, former world number one Medvedev was eliminated at the last-32 stage by Francisco Cerundolo.
The Argentine secured a dramatic 6-0 4-6 7-5 victory to knock out the player who recently defeated Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells.
The match was temporarily interrupted by a bizarre incident when the aerial ‘spider cam’ became entangled with umpire Mohamed Lahyani’s elevated chair.
Lahyani was forced to evacuate his seat while ball boys intervened to prevent the structure from completely toppling over.
“I didn’t know what to expect, it was a great match, super tough,” Cerundolo said of his victory.
“It was my first match against Daniil. He’s probably one of the only guys on tour who I have never played.”
Six-time major winner Iga Swiatek has ended her coaching partnership with Wim Fissette following a shock early exit from the Miami Open.
The world number three announced the decision on Monday after struggling to find her best form during the opening months of the 2026 season.
Fissette joined the Polish star’s backroom team in October 2024 and successfully guided her to a maiden Wimbledon singles title last July.
The 24-year-old also secured prestigious WTA Tour titles in Seoul and Cincinnati while working alongside the Belgian tactician.
Struggles during the 2026 campaign
Despite those previous triumphs, the current season has proved immensely frustrating for the dominant baseline player.
She has failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals in all four tournaments contested so far this year.
The breaking point arrived in Florida on Thursday when she suffered a stunning second-round defeat to compatriot Magda Linette.
That loss marked the first time in 74 tournaments that the highly-seeded competitor had fallen in her opening match of a WTA Tour event.
Mutual respect despite the split
Taking to Instagram, the six-time major winner expressed deep disappointment regarding her recent performances on the hard courts.
“Miami was challenging for me. I feel disappointment, bitterness and responsibility for my performance on the court of course.”
“That being said, after many months of working together with my coach Wim Fissette, I’ve decided to take a different path.”
This separation comes relatively soon after she ended a highly successful three-season stint with former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
Fissette reflects on Wimbledon glory
The 46-year-old coach brings immense pedigree to his next role, having previously guided Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters, Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka.
Fissette responded graciously to the announcement, choosing to reflect fondly on their shared success at the All England Club.
“In 2018, I met Iga at the Wimbledon Champions Dinner after she won juniors. Seven years later, we won it together. A nice story.”
“We both wanted and worked for more but shared important moments and lessons. Iga, I now wish you good luck and success in what’s next.”
The remainder of the Polish player’s coaching staff will stay intact as she takes time to prepare for the next chapter of her career.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has reached the last 16 of the Miami Open by beating American Caty McNally in straight sets to continue her pursuit of the ‘Sunshine Double’.
The defending champion extended her current winning streak to eight matches with a commanding 6-4 6-2 victory in Florida.
Having already lifted the Indian Wells title earlier this month, the Belarusian is aiming to become only the fifth woman to win both prestigious tournaments in the same calendar year.
The players exchanged breaks of serve twice in a competitive opening set before the top seed seized control to edge ahead.
She then dominated the second set, winning four consecutive games from 2-2 to secure her progression.
Zheng awaits in the next round
Next up for the powerful baseliner is a Monday clash with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
The Chinese star claimed her first victory over a top-20 opponent since undergoing elbow surgery in July by defeating American 15th seed Madison Keys.
However, history heavily favours the world number one, who has emerged victorious in seven of her eight previous meetings with Zheng.
Rybakina and Pegula advance
Third seed Elena Rybakina also booked her place in the next round, cruising to a comfortable 6-3 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
The Kazakhstani player will now face Australian qualifier Talia Gibson, who continued her impressive run by knocking out 18th seed Iva Jovic 6-2 6-2.
Gibson’s giant-killing streak in Miami follows a significant second-round victory over former world number one Naomi Osaka.
Meanwhile, fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula required just 66 minutes to dismiss Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2.
Ostapenko survives three-set battle
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko was forced to dig deep to defeat Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 5-7 6-2 7-5.
The 2018 tournament runner-up advances to face American world number 45 Hailey Baptiste.
Baptiste secured her own spot in the last 16 with a 6-3 7-5 upset over Ukrainian ninth seed Elina Svitolina.
American Reilly Opelka hit 25 aces to eliminate Britain’s Jack Draper from the second round of the Miami Open following two tight tie-breaks on Friday.
The 6ft 11in giant showcased a formidable serving display, producing 47 winners to seal a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-0) victory.
He established his dominance immediately by firing four consecutive aces in the opening game of the match.
Despite committing just six unforced errors throughout the contest, the British challenger struggled to break down his opponent’s towering serve.
Draper faces rankings slide
The defeat prematurely ends a promising American hard-court swing for the British talent, who recently reached the quarter-finals at Indian Wells.
He had arrived in Florida searching for further momentum after spending almost eight months sidelined with a severe arm injury.
This early exit leaves the left-hander vulnerable to a drop in the world rankings heading into the upcoming clay-court season.
It also compounds a difficult week after he was recently overtaken by compatriot Cameron Norrie in the national standings.
Boulter advances after Tauson injury
In the women’s draw, Katie Boulter successfully navigated a rain-disrupted encounter to secure her place in the third round.
The British number three progressed when 17th seed Clara Tauson retired early in the deciding set with an unspecified injury.
The Danish competitor was forced to abandon the match while trailing 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 1-0.
This hard-fought contest was heavily impacted by showers, which contributed to a stuttering start for both athletes.
The resilient Briton initially squandered a 5-3 lead in the opening set before mounting a spirited comeback to level the match and ultimately force the retirement.