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.
The 25-year-old Kyiv native made her impassioned plea following her opening-round defeat to ninth seed Madison Keys at Melbourne Park on Tuesday evening.
Making her Grand Slam debut, the world No 92 appeared wearing a T-shirt bearing the message: "I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women, but I can't talk about it here."
Speaking to The Age, Oliynykova described the participation of players from Russia and Belarus as "very wrong" given the ongoing conflict in her homeland.
Oliynykova specifically targeted Sabalenka, pointing to a letter the Belarusian star signed in 2020 expressing support for President Aleksandr Lukashenko, which came two years prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The world No 1 has since sought to distance herself from those comments, stating at the 2023 French Open that she did not back the war or "Lukashenko right now."
Despite these public declarations, Oliynykova remained unconvinced, saying: "The people with money and power, they are using this to support aggression against my country."
Oleksandra Oliynykova's father serves as a soldier in the Ukrainian military
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She added: "They are the reason, the people who have the power to speak up - they are not doing this."
Oliynykova's connection to the conflict is deeply personal, with her father currently serving as a soldier in the Ukrainian military.
She revealed that her ranking has climbed more than 200 places since he enlisted, crediting his service as a source of motivation.
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Five facts for tennis fans | GETTY/PA"I'm so proud of him and that's something that's keeping me motivated even more," she said.
The day before departing for Melbourne, a drone strike hit her neighbour's apartment, narrowly missing her own home.
"These players are one of the reasons why my apartment was shaking before I came here," she told Ben Rothenberg's Bounces podcast.
The Ukrainian player confirmed she refuses to communicate with Russian and Belarusian competitors in the locker room.
Aryna Sabalenka is bidding to win the Australian Open for the third time
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The Embassy of Ukraine in Australia and New Zealand expressed its backing for Oliynykova's stance on social media platform X, writing: "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."
Her father watched the match against Keys and sent a message afterwards describing her performance as "amazing," which nearly moved her to tears.
Although Grand Slam regulations typically prohibit political statements at competition venues, a Tennis Australia official confirmed no rules were in place preventing such expressions.