"They received prizes from Putin": Ukranian new top-100 blasts Andreeva and Shnaider’s ‘neutrality’

One of the most recent players to join the Top 100 is Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova. Away from the glare of the major tournaments, the Kyiv-born player has made a name for herself in Challenger and Futures events, and her recent run through South America allowed her to finish the year as World No. 94, her best ranking so far and her first time inside the elite group of the WTA Tour.

The Ukrainian strung together 11 consecutive victories, lifting the trophy at the WTA 125 Tucumán in Argentina and subsequently the WTA 125 Colina in Chile. She was seeking her third straight trophy in Buenos Aires a few days later but was forced to withdraw in the Round of 16.

Oliynykova has a unique and heavy backstory: her father—who used to accompany her to tournaments as her manager—is currently in Ukraine fighting in the war against Russia. "It is very difficult. My dad always traveled with me to all the tournaments, he was my manager," the Ukrainian mentioned in an interview with the Argentine newspaper Olé. "Despite not having the chance to accompany me as he did before the war, he continues to help me a lot. I am always worried about him because you never know what might happen..."

"He gave me all the support necessary in sports and in life; his dream was to see me play at a high level and for me to be a correct and intelligent player," the tennis player added. "I try to achieve that, I work very hard to make him happy so that he can be proud of his daughter."

During her time in South America, Oliynykova also spoke with the media, and issued strong criticism against the Russian and Belarusian players on the Tour, who have been competing as neutrals without a flag since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “The neutrality should be tested. Many support the war. For some, not having a flag is enough, but it's not," the Ukrainian expressed according to Saque y Red.

The new World No. 94 also pointed fingers at two recognized names on the WTA Tour: Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who recently received a distinction in Russia due to their 2024 Olympic Games doubles campaign, where they ended up winning the silver medal. “Even without a flag, they can play without limits. Andreeva and Shnaider received prizes from Putin. We have to talk more about this. It's a big problem because they have global recognition while supporting the Russian government."

The player was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, but at 10 years old moved to Zagreb, Croatia—after her father publicly criticized the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych in 2011. Her beginnings in tennis were under the Croatian flag, but since 2022 she has officially represented Ukraine. With her rise in the rankings, she is now the 4th highest-ranked Ukrainian in the Top 100, joining Elina Svitolina (No. 14), Marta Kostyuk (No. 26), and Dayana Yastremska (No. 27).

After starting the year down at No. 297, she has had a remarkable breakout season, winning three WTA 125 titles—all in the last three months of the season. However, she regrets that her father has not been able to follow her performance closely.

"He can't watch the matches; the last one he had the chance to watch was at the US Open [almost three months ago], but he is constantly checking the results of my matches, he supports me a lot and rejoices in every victory. And when I lose, I tell him what I did wrong and he advises me on how to improve; he understands the game very well."

For the Ukrainian, raising awareness about the effects of the war in her home country is a major priority. While she competes, she continues to seek support, leveraging her increased exposure as a tennis player.

"I have a website created to raise awareness about what is happening in my country. I had quite a few problems giving it visibility: first I tried to do it during matches with a logo on my clothing, but the WTA identified the project as charity and did not allow it," Oliynykova explained. "While it is [charity], because we accept donations, I also simply try to inform. That's why I decided to change my Instagram name; I didn't see why not to do it, and it helped the project."

"The most important thing is to be informed; it's been almost four years of war and fighting continues every day. There is a lot of disinformation, so it is also necessary to choose the media we consume well, because even many donation channels are fake. And well, also to provide support to nations that are suffering. Russia has no intention of stopping the battle; if that were the case, they would have gone home, but we don't have another home."