Genie Bouchard Lawsuit: USTA Blames Trainers For Fall

The USTA blamed WTA-employed trainers for the accident that led to Genie Bouchard’s slip and fall at the '15 U.S. Open. In opening arguments today in Bouchard’s lawsuit, USTA counsel Alan Kaminsky said the USTA locker room attendants had only applied a slippery substance to the training room floor because the trainers had left, a sign players had left as well. "My clients are being blamed for doing their job," Kaminsky told the seven-person jury. "We waited until the WTA trainers told us they were leaving … to clean the locker room." The WTA is not a defendant in the case.

Kaminsky also said Bouchard should have known training areas close an hour after the last match per WTA protocols. Her match ended at 9:44pm ET and she fell after 11:00pm. She withdrew from the event and subsequent ones and alleges her rankings fall is because of emotional trauma from the concussion. The case is expected to last through early next week.