US track champion Abby Steiner is taking her fight into court, suing Puma and the Mercedes Formula 1 team after alleging the companies' shoe design contributed to injuries that derailed her competitive career.

Filed April 24th in Massachusetts Superior Court, the suit claims the shoes and spikes were “defective” and “unsafe," saying the design increased risk factors for bone stress injuries, foot injuries, and additional strain.

Because Mercedes was involved in the design and sale of Puma footwear referenced in the complaint, it is also named in the lawsuit.

Steiner, an NCAA champion at Kentucky and two-time world champion relay gold medalist, emerged as a rising names in US track during her breakout 2022 season. She signed with Puma that July in a deal widely reported to be worth some $2 million.

While Steiner helped the US win gold in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays at the 2022 World Championships, the lawsuit says the trouble began after she started wearing Puma footwear in September of that year.

According to the complaint, those injuries led to multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation between 2023 and 2025, subsequently ending her career and keeping her from competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Saying she suffered “severe and permanent injuries," Steiner is seeking financial damages tied to lost sponsorships, medical expenses, and a decreased quality of life.

Court records currently show no defendants have filed a response or attorney appearance with the court. A response is due by August 24th.

Mercedes-Benz is getting into the women's game, with the luxury car giant becoming the official automotive partner of England's WSL and WSL2 this week.

The deal showcases Mercedes-Benz's growing commitment to women's sports, with the auto giant also signing on as the presenting sponsor of the WTA Tour last month — adding to a resume that includes serving as the official patron of the LPGA Tour's AIG Women's Open.

"The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea," said Mercedes-Benz UK CEO and managing director Olivier Reppert in the WSL's Wednesday press release. "Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football."

While financial terms of the partnership are not public, Mercedes-Benz is just the latest big-name sponsor to back WSL Football, with some reports saying that the two-league outfit has tripled its commercial revenue since splitting with the FA in 2024.

"Bringing a brand of this calibre…will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players, and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues," said WSL Football CRO Zarah Al-Kudcy.

Mercedes-Benz will also present this spring's inaugural interleague playoff, in which the third-place WSL2 club will battle the last-place WSL team for a chance at promotion as a part of the top flight's planned 14-team expansion for 2026/27.

The WTA scored a major victory this week, entering into a multi-year partnership with luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz that has the potential to become the largest deal in women's sports history.

Mercedes-Benz signed on as the pro tennis association's premier partner on Wednesday, committing $50 million per year to the WTA for up to 10 years — a possible lifetime value of half a billion dollars.

What's more, the deal's intention is to help the WTA Tour reach its goal of achieving equal prize money across all men's and women's tournaments and standalone tennis competitions by 2031.

While the four Grand Slams already achieved equal purses nearly two decades ago, this week's partnership allowing the WTA to recommit to adopting that prize money parity across all its events.

The move also reflects the growing global investment in women's sports, building on the WTA's expiring four-year, $20 million-per-year contract with Hologic.

"From the day we founded the WTA, our mission was to ensure that every girl, every woman, could have a place to compete... and make a living playing the sport she loves," legend Billie Jean King said in a press release. "Seeing a global brand like Mercedes-Benz stand with us sends a message that echoes far beyond tennis. It says women's sport matters."