Eugenie Bouchard reaches settlement with USTA in lawsuit over US Open fall

Reuters

New York: Eugenie Bouchard reached a settlement with the US Tennis Association to end her lawsuit over a locker room fall at the 2015 US Open Tennis Championships, US media reported.

The terms of the settlement were confidential.

The resolution came a day after a jury in US federal court in Brooklyn found the USTA 75 percent liable for the fall, which left Bouchard with a concussion.

The 23-year-old Canadian, once ranked as high as fifth in the world, had sought unspecified damages in the suit, claiming the USTA was at fault for applying a slippery cleaning product to the floor of a physiotherapy room where she fell after playing a late mixed doubles match.

The USTA had argued that Bouchard should have known the darkened room was being cleaned at 11 pm.

The jury had assessed Bouchard's contributory negligence at 25 percent.

As the damages phase of the trial began on Friday, lawyers for both sides had argued before the jury about the appropriate amount.

The New York Daily News reported that shortly before 3 pm Judge Ann Donnelly called the jury in and said the parties had "agreed to resolve the case".

"It's been two and a half years, so I'm happy it's over," The New York Times quoted Bouchard as saying. "I feel vindicated that I got the verdict yesterday."

Bouchard shot to stardom when she reached the 2014 Wimbledon final, but she has not replicated that early success and is currently ranked 116th in the world.