American tennis star McKenzie receives nine million dollars in compensation from the tennis association

NOS Sports•today, 8:54 PM

American tennis star Kylie McKenzie must receive compensation of 9 million dollars (more than 8.3 million euros) from the American tennis association US Tennis Association. This was determined by a court in Florida.

The association is said to have insufficiently protected her against a coach who allegedly sexually abused her in one of the training centers.

McKenzie, 25, filed the case in March 2022. She said she was unwantedly groped by her coach Anibal Aranda when she was 19 and he was 34. Aranda coached female tennis talent at the national level from 2014 to 2021.

McKenzie accused the tennis association of allowing Aranda to do his thing, while he had allegedly abused someone before.

The association denies knowledge of previous abuse by Aranda and says it immediately took appropriate action after McKenzie’s report. The court disagrees with this.

The tennis association has indicated that it will appeal the ruling.

“I am extremely pleased with this outcome. I feel recognized,” McKenzie said in a statement shared by one of her attorneys on Tuesday. “I hope I can be an example for other girls to speak out, even when it’s difficult.”

McKenzie was considered a tennis promise. As a junior player, she reached her highest position (33rd) in the youth world rankings in 2016.

In youth, she won against Sofia Kenin, who would win the Australian Open in 2020, and Tamara Zidansek, a semi-finalist at the French Open in 2021.