Ukrainian tennis star Oleksandra Oliynykova has publicly called out Aryna Sabalenka, Diana Shnaider, and Daniil Medvedev for their actions amidst the Russia-Ukraine war. Following a fearless message displayed at the Australian Open, the WTA World No. 92 held the Belarusian and Russian players accountable.
Oliynykova has been one of the fastest rising stars on the WTA Tour in recent months. The 25-year-old broke into the Top 100 of the women’s singles rankings for the first time last year and has used her platform to advocate for her country. Most recently, the Ukrainian athlete wore a t-shirt at the Australian Open that read:
“I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women but I can’t talk about it here.”
After her Grand Slam debut, Oliynykova spoke with L’Equipe in an exclusive interview, where she called out several tennis stars for their controversial actions.
She specifically held World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka accountable for her support of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Oliynykova said:
“I’m talking, for example, about the world number one (Aryna Sabalenka). Did you know that she signed a list supporting Lukashenko in 2020? During the protests in Belarus, when the streets were covered in blood because demonstrators defending democracy and demanding fair elections were being repressed and beaten. Well, she signed it and declared that Lukashenko was her president.”
Oliynykova went on to discuss Russian player Diana Shnaider’s support for President Vladimir Putin, as well as Daniil Medvedev’s participation in a controversial exhibition event organized by Gazprom, one of the main sponsors linked to the war.
She stated:
“Diana Shnaider, ranked 11th in the world, was honored by Putin. Diana herself stated that she would be delighted to receive an award from her president. Those are her exact words, taken from an interview. There are also players participating in exhibitions organized by Gazprom. (Daniil) Medvedev took part, along with many others. Meanwhile, I was waking up with a start because of the explosions. Do you think that’s normal? I don’t.”
In the same interview, Oliynykova emphasized that she finds it “unacceptable” that such “dangerous” people have not been excluded from the tennis tour, as is often the case in other sports.
### Oleksandra Oliynykova Loses to Madison Keys in Grand Slam Debut
While Oliynykova is not the highest-ranked Ukrainian player on the WTA Tour, her rise has been rapid and undeniable. She started the 2025 season ranked 286th in the world and finished it inside the Top 100 after winning titles at the Tolentino Open, Tucumán Open, and the WTA 125 Copa LP Chile.
Thanks to these achievements, Oliynykova made her Grand Slam debut at the 2026 Australian Open. The 25-year-old faced American Madison Keys in the first round and lost 7-6(6), 6-1 to the defending champion, putting on a respectable fight in the process.
Oliynykova continues to use her growing platform to shed light on important issues and advocate for peace while building what promises to be an impressive tennis career.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-aryna-sabalenka-daniil-medvedev-diana-shnaider-publicly-called-ukraine-s-oleksandra-oliynykova-fearless-australian-open-message
