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Lesia Tsurenko Withdrew from The BNP Paribas Open Due to a Panic Attack After Speaking with WTA CEO Steve Simon

Posted : 09 April 2023
After speaking with WTA chief executive Steve Simon, Ukrainian star Lesia Tsurenko claims she had a panic attack and pull out from the BNP Paribas Open as a result.

On Sunday, Tsurenko was scheduled to play the winner of the Australian Open, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. Instead, Tsurenko gave Sabalenka a walkover.

Tsurenko has now revealed that she withdrew for totally stunned reasons after Simon's responses to their conversation regarding tennis' stance to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The withdrawal was initially explained away as personal reasons.

According to the Big Tennis Ukraine website, she said:
 "A few days ago, I had a conversation with our WTA CEO Steve Simon, and I was absolutely shocked by what I heard.

"He told me that he himself does not support the war, but if the players from Russia and Belarus support it, then this is only their own opinion, and the opinion of other people should not upset me. At the same time, he noted that if this had happened to him and he had been in my place, he would have felt terrible.”

The International Olympic Committee may be moving in the same direction as Wimbledon organizers, who appear ready to ease their ban on Russian and Belarusian players.

Simon informed Tsurenko of this injunction. who said: “He expressed confidence that the Russians and Belarusians will return to the Olympics and said that it will happen exactly as it is happening now in tennis. I was completely shocked by this conversation, and already in the last match (against Donna Vekic) it was incredibly difficult to play. When it was time to go to the court, I had a panic attack and I simply could not go out there. I just broke down mentally, to be honest.”

Tsurenko claimed that Simon's status is now being questioned by her and the other Ukrainian players she spoke of the conversation.

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