Ukrainian tennis player calls for exclusion of Russian and Belarusian competitors
Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova has demanded that the ATP and WTA exclude world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka along with all Russian and Belarusian competitors from the professional circuit, reports BritPanorama.
Oliynykova, 25, made her request following her opening-round defeat to ninth seed Madison Keys at Melbourne Park. The world No 92 made her Grand Slam debut while wearing a T-shirt that read: “I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women, but I can’t talk about it here.”
Oliynykova described the participation of players from Russia and Belarus as “very wrong” given the ongoing conflict in her homeland. She specifically targeted Sabalenka, referencing a letter the Belarusian signed in 2020 that expressed support for President Aleksandr Lukashenko, predating Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Despite Sabalenka’s efforts to distance herself from those comments, stating at the 2023 French Open that she did not support the war or “Lukashenko right now,” Oliynykova expressed skepticism. “The people with money and power, they are using this to support aggression against my country,” she remarked.
The Ukrainian player’s connection to the conflict is deeply personal, as her father serves as a soldier in the Ukrainian military. Oliynykova noted that her ranking has improved more than 200 places since he enlisted, attributing her motivation to his service.
She disclosed that a recent drone strike hit her neighbour’s apartment, narrowly missing her own home. Speaking on Ben Rothenberg’s Bounces podcast, she emphasized that players from Russia and Belarus contribute to her distress, saying, “These players are one of the reasons why my apartment was shaking before I came here.”
Oliynykova also confirmed that she refuses to communicate with Russian and Belarusian competitors in the locker room. Meanwhile, the Embassy of Ukraine in Australia and New Zealand has supported her stance on social media, stating, “Many thanks to Oleksandra Oliynykova for using her voice at AO to make an important statement. Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to compete in reputable international competitions while Russia continues to kill Ukrainians and leave them freezing to death.”
Oliynykova received encouraging words from her father, who watched her match and praised her performance as “amazing,” which nearly brought her to tears. Although Grand Slam regulations typically restrict political statements at events, a Tennis Australia official confirmed there were no rules preventing such expressions.
In this charged atmosphere, the intersection of sport and international conflict remains palpable, reminding us how deeply sports can resonate with the geopolitical realities of our time.
