Kylie_McKenzie

Kylie McKenzie

Kylie McKenzie

American tennis player

Kylie McKenzie (born 21 March 1999) is an American tennis player from Arizona.[1]

Quick Facts Country (sports), Born ...

Junior career

From Phoenix, Arizona,[2] McKenzie joined the United States Tennis Association’s full-time training team in California at twelve years-old. She subsequently won the national under-16 championship at fifteen years-old.[3] McKenzie played in the 2015 US Girls’ singles, where she reached the quarter-final before losing to Fanny Stollar.[4]

Aged eighteen she transferred to the USTA facility in Orlando, Florida.[5] McKenzie alleged coach Anibal Aranda touched her vagina after a practice in November 2018 at the USTA's training center in Florida when she was nineteen years-old. McKenzie has since said that the sexual abuse had negatively affected her confidence, self-esteem and caused anxiety that had a detrimental effect on her tennis career.[6] The Police stated there was probable cause for a charge of battery, and turned the evidence over to the state attorney's office, which ultimately opted not to pursue a case. The coach was suspended and then fired by the USTA.[7]

In March 2022 McKenzie filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association after an investigation by SafeSport found it was "more likely than not" that she had suffered a sexual assault by a coach at a United States Tennis Association training centre.[8][9] In May 2024, a jury in Florida awarded McKenzie $3m in compensation with an additional $6m in punitive damages.[10]

Professional career

McKenzie began a professional tennis career in August 2021, based at the iTUSA Tennis Academy in Glendale.[11][12] In March 2023 she reached the final of an ITF T15 event in Monastir before she was defeated by Nina Radovanovic in the final.[13]

References

  1. [1]
    "K.McKenzie". WTA. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  2. [2]
    Perez, Angela (March 29, 2022). "Phoenix tennis player Kylie McKenzie sues USTA over alleged sexual assault from coach". AZ Central. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  3. [3]
    "Tennis player Kylie McKenzie sues coach over sexual assault". Marca. March 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  4. [4]
    Pratt, Steve. "Anthem's Kylie McKenzie sees U.S. Open Junior run end". azcentral. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  5. [5]
    Redfern, Kevin (March 29, 2022). "Arizona tennis prodigy Kylie McKenzie sues USTA for failing to protect her from 'known sexual abuser'". cronkitenews.azpbs.org. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  6. [6]
    "Kylie McKenzie sues USTA, says organization failed to protect her from abusive tennis coach". espn. March 29, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  7. [7]
    Futterman, Matthew (March 23, 2022). "A Once Promising Tennis Player Speaks Out Against a Former U.S.T.A. Coach". New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  8. [8]
    Futterman, Matthew (March 28, 2022). "Kylie McKenzie Sues U.S.T.A., Claiming It Failed to Keep Her Safe". nytimes. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  9. [9]
    "Tennis Player Sues USTA Over Alleged Sexual Abuse by Coach". Sports Illustrated. March 29, 2022.
  10. [10]
    "USTA ordered to pay former top junior tennis player $9m in sexual abuse case". The Guardian. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  11. [11]
    "Local Tennis Star Signs With iTUSA Tennis Academy". Businesswire.com. August 27, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  12. [12]
    "Tennis product turns to Glendale training center to go pro". Yourvalley.net. August 31, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  13. [13]
    "Nina Radovanovic (CT Beaucourt) pockets a second ITF title". L'Est Républicain. March 19, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
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