Kylie McKenzie Awarded $9M in Sexual Abuse Case Against U.S. Tennis Association

The tennis player filed a lawsuit against the USTA in March 2022 claiming that the association committed “gross negligence” by employing her coach, Anibal Aranda

A Florida jury awarded U.S. tennis player Kylie McKenzie $9 million in damages after she sued the United States Tennis Association (USTA), claiming that the organization failed to protect her from a coach that she said sexually assaulted her, the Associated Press, CNN and The Guardian reported.

“I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I feel validated,” McKenzie, 25, said in a statement obtained by the outlets after the ruling. “It was very hard, but I feel now that it was all worth it. I hope I can be an example for other girls to speak out even when it’s difficult.”

According to CNN and Guardian, the tennis player filed a lawsuit in March 2022 claiming that the USTA committed “gross negligence” by employing her coach, Anibal Aranda, and “fail[ed] to properly supervise” him despite having previous knowledge of his “sexual predation” against another USTA employee.

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In the complaint, McKenzie alleged that Aranda, who had been employed by the USTA for about seven years before he was fired, used his position as a coach to get access to female athletes and commit sexual battery against them, the AP reported.

McKenzie’s lawyers and the USTA  did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the court case.

In a statement to the AP, USTA spokesperson Chris Widmaier said that they are planning to appeal the case. He added, “We are sympathetic to the plaintiff and what she endured. We do not — and have never — disputed her allegations against a coach.”

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He also noted that the USTA was “deeply troubled” by the ruling. "The court ruled that the USTA was liable because one of its employees — a non-athlete — had an obligation to report her own experience with this coach to the USTA, an incident that was unknown until after the USTA removed the coach. This sets a new and unreasonable expectation for victims, one that will deter them from coming forward in the future,” he said.

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McKenzie claimed she was sexually abused by Aranda in 2018, when she was 19 and he was 34, The Athletic reported. The outlet added that the coach "has denied touching McKenzie inappropriately."

The tennis player, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 33 in 2016, previously shared during a 2022 press conference that her experiences with Aranda affected her mental health on the court and she dealt with anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

“My confidence and my self-esteem was gone, both on and off the court.” she said at the time, per CNN.

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