On January 20, Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova appeared at a press conference after her first-round match at the Australian Open wearing a T-shirt with a message of support for Ukraine. In doing so, she circumvented the ban on political statements at tennis tournament events. The athlete dedicated her message to the protection of Ukrainian women and children and to her father, who serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This was reported by the Associated Press.
Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova attracted attention after her defeat in the first round of the Australian Open by the reigning champion Madison Keys. The match at Rod Laver Arena ended with a score of 7:6 (6), 6:1 in favor of the American athlete.
After the game, Oliynykova appeared at the post-match press conference wearing a T-shirt with the words: “I need your help to protect Ukrainian women and children, but I can’t talk about it here.” Grand Slam tournament rules prohibit political statements on the competition grounds, so the tennis player used another way to get her message across
During the match, the Ukrainian forced her opponent to adapt to her unconventional style of play, in particular her high lob shots. After the match, Keys praised Oliynykova’s play, while the Ukrainian tennis player signed autographs, accepted applause from the audience, and unfurled a Ukrainian flag
Oliynykova, who is ranked 92nd in the world, noted that her playing style has often been called “strange” and one that will not allow her to progress. At the same time, she stated that she strives to achieve results with this very approach.
The tennis player also spoke about her father, who serves in the Ukrainian army. According to her, he has been her biggest fan since childhood, and after he joined the army, she improved her ranking by more than 200 positions. After the match, her father wrote her a message in which he called the game incredible and noted that she had made his dream come true.
