The USTA and Eugenie Bouchard on Friday afternoon settled their lawsuit after hours of, at times, frenetic negotiating in different wings of a federal courthouse. The amount was not disclosed, but given Bouchard largely won the liability trial, it is believed she would not have walked away unless it was a high seven-figure or more payment. Bouchard's lawyer, Benedict Morelli, said the USTA realized after losing the liability phase of the trial its previous settlement offers were insufficient. Bouchard suffered a head injury at the '15 U.S. Open when she slipped in a locker room area that had recently been cleaned but left unattended. She was forced to withdraw from the event and subsequent ones, and said her ranking fall was still tied to emotional trauma caused by the injury. Bouchard expressed relief and vindication as she left the court house Friday. The USTA in a statement said it was glad to amicably conclude the case. Bouchard's mother, Julie Leclair, cried in court after the settlement was announced by the judge, underscoring how intense the lawsuit has been since it was filed shortly after the accident.
Bouchard said of the lawsuit, "It's been a long time, but it's something I wanted to do. It's been two and a half years, so I'm happy it's over" (NYTIMES.com, 2/23).
