Kylie McKenzie wins $9m in sexual assault lawsuit against USTA for failing to protect her from coach Anibal Aranda

A federal jury in Florida has awarded $9 million to Kylie McKenzie, a former American tennis player, following a ruling that the United States Tennis Association (USTA) failed to protect her from being sexually assaulted by her coach, Anibal Aranda. McKenzie, 25, claimed that Aranda, who was employed by the organisation at the time, committed “sexual assault and battery” against her, and also accused the USTA of “gross negligence”. The jury agreed, awarding McKenzie $3m in compensatory damages and $6m in punitive damages. Aranda has denied any wrongdoing. McKenzie’s lawyer, Robert Allard, criticised the USTA’s response to the allegations, stating that they “just don’t get it”, and called for a complete overhaul of leadership within the organisation. According to the lawsuit, a previous investigation by the US Center for SafeSport found that Aranda had also sexually assaulted another female employee in 2015, but she did not report the incident. The USTA has stated that it will appeal the decision, adding that “this sets a new and unreasonable expectation for victims, one that will deter them from coming forward in the future”. The USTA has also previously sacked Aranda following the initial investigation.