A War's New Battle Inside Women's Tennis

An interview with outspoken Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova, who has been at odds with the WTA over her comments about stars like Aryna Sabalenka.

The scenes after match point of the women’s final in Madrid last weekend were deeply strange, even if tennis fans knew to expect them.

A day later on the same stage at ATP-WTA 1000 Madrid, the men would stand, smile, pose and uncork champagne together. But after the women’s final was won, the winner and loser did not shake hands. The winner and loser also did not stand together or pose for the same pictures in the trophy ceremony. It wasn’t until Mirra Andreeva had walked completely off the stage with her runner-up plate and champagne that Marta Kostyuk stepped forward with her own trophy and champagne. The Ukrainian player would not allow herself to be seen with the Russian player whom she had just beaten for the biggest win of her career.

Such scenes are not normal in sports, but they’ve become protocol as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into its fourth year, casting an unease and tension over women’s tennis which are always there even if it often goes unheard, playing almost as the silent music which forces such strange moments of choreography.

But this year, one Ukrainian player who is new to this level of competition has been determined to turn up the volume. Oleksandra Oliynykova, the most outspoken player on this subject whom I’ve met so far, is one whom Bounces readers first met during this year’s Australian Open.

My first interview with Oliynykova, in which she spoke forcefully about the realities of living and training amid an active war in Kyiv, was one of the most-read stories at Bounces so far this year.

In a new phone interview from Rome on Wednesday, Oliynykova said the Italian Open was “absolutely the best tournament I ever played—it’s a great vibe here.” That vibe carried her into the third round, and likely to a new career-high ranking.

Oliynykova, whose ranking has already climbed from 90th to inside the Top 70, has stayed on message as she plays the best tennis of her career. The 25-year-old frequently posts on her Instagram account, @_drones4ua.org_ about events in the war at home. She also, to the considerable consternation of WTA authorities, often posts about the actions of the Russian and Belarusian players she is now on tour with, including top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

By forcing the issue, Oliynykova has foregrounded the war like no one before in this years-long war. Bringing the frontlines closer to the front of mind has made the WTA considerably more uncomfortable in what had already been an uneasy status quo. In an interview this week with Bounces, Oliynykova continued and furthered her stances, with comments on specific players including Sabalenka, as well as considerable criticism of how the WTA has reacted to her speech.

“Everybody is defending not the values, but the interests of the corporation, the financial interests, big money, big stars—but not the real truth, the facts. They’re putting me under pressure. And then when I come home [to Ukraine], I see this reality. I see the buildings destroyed. I hear the attacks. Then I’m coming to the tournaments where everything is so fancy, so glamorous. And I see the people defending this glamorous [system], but they don’t want to defend the interests of the people who are suffering.” —Oleksandra Oliynykova

The WTA sent this statement Thursday in reply to the many comments which Oliynykova made about the WTA in the interview below:

“The WTA recognizes that the ongoing war in Ukraine continues to have a profound and deeply personal impact on many of our athletes. We remain unequivocal in condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine and have consistently supported our Ukrainian players since the start of the conflict.

“This is an extraordinarily sensitive situation, and we understand players will have strong personal views. All WTA athletes have the right to express themselves. At the same time, the WTA is committed to maintaining a professional and respectful environment for all athletes, regardless of nationality or country of origin. Our Code of Conduct exists to uphold this standard consistently across the Tour.

“We consistently engage with players to ensure interactions on the Tour remain professional and respectful, even in moments of heightened sensitivity. Any concerns about conduct are addressed through our established, confidential processes.”

I decided to make this 5,500+ word article free for all to read because of the subject matter involved, but to support my journalism and enable it to continue, please subscribe to Bounces. -Ben

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity, and occasional annotations have been added to provide context.

Catching Up With Oleksandra Oliynykova

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: Let’s start with a happy part. We last talked before your first round match in Melbourne, and that match turned out to be pretty competitive. I know a lot of people were impressed by your game style.

How was that whole experience for you, being on the main stage of a Grand Slam?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: You know, I think I was so lucky. Even if it was a very tough draw and a very tough opponent, it was great experience to play against Madison and to play on Rod Laver Arena. It was just great. So many people, warm atmosphere. In general, it was so positive for me. So yeah, I was just happy to be there, to have this moment in my life. I’m actually really thankful for this match— even though I lost. But I think this was something where you can enjoy tennis at 100 percent, in these conditions.

For me, that’s really important. For me, the sport and the game itself is what is, let’s say, the gift. It’s not only about winning or losing, but also about things like atmosphere, experience, respect. Yeah, it was really important.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: I’m glad to hear that.

After that match you wore a shirt with a message on it to your press conference.

Oliynykova in the main interview room at the Australian Open, reading a shirt which said “I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women, but I can’t talk about it here”

“I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women, but I can’t talk about it here”

Can you explain why you did that, what caused that?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: Yeah, I did this because I had a problem with censorship before.

WTA banned my logo twice; I was playing with a logo to promote crowdfunding to support Ukrainian defenders, and they banned it twice.

And in general, I had a lot of problems with censorship. But for me, it was really important to [bring] attention that we need help. This t-shirt, I was wearing this to help support crowdfunding for air defense, because this something that can save the life of a child in Ukraine, you know? Innocent people. Civilians.

In general, the terms of war are being censored a lot.

Even when I was playing the Billie Jean King Cup [at a tie played in Poland in April], I was making some interviews—it was not WTA, it’s ITF—but it’s quite similar in every tournament. I see that my interviews were being cut—like 90 percent of what I’m speaking.

The interviews which are outside of the tournaments, they are [published] in full. So the shirt was for attention to the help we need, but also to the [censorship] problem that we have on tour: the limit on free speech.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: What got cut by the ITF that you said at Billie Jean King Cup?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: Yes, it was content for the social media. It’s probably, again, not connected to WTA, because it’s a different platform. But we were making a lot of content and I was really speaking a lot about the war in Ukraine, about how we’re not playing at home because it’s war, about how our players can’t wait until when Ukraine will win this war and it’s going to be peace again. We really want to play for our crowd, you know?

We were filming a lot of content, but I didn’t see anything published where I was speaking about this, and I was speaking about this all the time. 90 percent of what I was speaking was about this.

[Ed.: Bounces reached out to the ITF for comment/reply, but I have not yet heard back from them at time of publication.]

When Issues Began With the WTA

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: On the WTA front, you said in your recent Instagram posts that the first time you got approached by WTA was in Cluj-Napoca—you had a great run in that tournament there [reaching the semifinals of the WTA 250 event].

Can you describe more of what happened there? Who approached you, what they were saying, and if it was a specific thing that you’d said or written or posted that they had an issue with?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: Yeah, actually they had issues with a lot of things I’d posted.

In Cluj-Napoca, it was specifically because I didn’t want to shake hands with Anna Bondar, because she participated in Gazprom tournaments.

[Ed. Bondar, a Hungarian, played in the 2022 North Palmyra Trophies, an exhibition event funded by Russian gas behemoth Gazprom.]

A promotional image for a later edition of the Gazprom event. Anna Bondar is in the front row, wearing the white visor.

She went to Russia. And for me, I don’t see this in any different way than taking blood money. For me, it’s awful.

Again, it is not a personal thing to Anna; it’s not anything about her personality. It’s just something I will never respect. And for me, this is the same—if we will try to see something similar in historic perspective—it’s the same as to go play in Nazi Germany, and to take that money, enjoy your match, and think that it’s all normal.

So I made this publication. And two WTA workers, they came to me and they started to talk about my publications. They said that I shouldn’t have said her name. Even though players, they are talking about each other all the time; there is not any rule about depersonalization.

But [the WTA staff] started to talk about that I’m attacking her—which is also not true, because this was just a fact: she did this, and Gazprom is a sponsor of war, and I see the war in Ukraine as something horrible. It is, you know? This is my opinion.

But I didn’t attack her in any way. Saying that my saying the facts is ‘attacking’? Because, you know, I didn’t say ‘Oh, I hate her, she’s awful, she’s stupid’ or something like this. No, I said this decision would be the same as to play in Nazi Germany.

That’s how it started.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: Did they name any specific rules that you were breaking, that you were doing something against WTA rules? Or was it just that it wasn’t, you know, ‘nice’ to say this?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: I was talking to them for the next two months to clarify the rules. Because they have rules that you’re not allowed to say things which are harmful to other players. But the thing is that, for me, first of all: I’m saying the facts.

I don’t know if you remember the situation when Youzhny broke his head with the racquet?

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: Oh yeah.

Oleksandra Oliynykova: It’s like the same to say that the video maker harmed Youzhny because he filmed this. No! That is stupid. Let’s say it clear: I’m saying the facts that they did it; I didn’t force them to do this.

It’s also missing the context that I’m saying that the facts about what they did, their decisions, because their decisions and their actions are affecting my life. Because this propaganda, it has a goal: to brainwash people in Russia so they go to kill Ukrainians. I’m a Ukrainian who lives in Ukraine—that’s affecting me. Actually, I’m the one who is harmed in this situation.

I was asking them to clarify this. I was also asking them to protect me, because I feel unsafe on tour after all these situations. But I’m just not getting answers to my questions. I’m getting pressure from their side, though—that’s what was happening for the last two months.

[Ed.: The broad rule which could apply to Oliynykova’s comments is 13.a.i. in the WTA Rulebook, under the “Dishonorable or Unprofessional Conduct” section:

“A Player shall at all times, but particularly during a Tournament or event into which her entry has been accepted, whether at the Tournament site or not, refrain from engaging in conduct detrimental to the WTA or the WTA Tour or contrary to the integrity of the game of tennis. Conduct detrimental to the WTA or the WTA Tour or contrary to the integrity of the game of tennis shall include, but not be limited to, public comments, whether or not to the media, which knowingly attack, disparage, or that would reasonably be expected to be harmful or prejudicial to or against any person, group of people, Tournament, sponsor, player, official, the WTA, the WTA Tour, or any of their respective businesses, business reputation, or personal reputation. Responsible expressions of legitimate disagreement with WTA policies that are truthful and made in good faith are not prohibited.”]

Bad Feelings on Tour

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: When you say you feel “unsafe” on tour, can you explain what makes you feel personally unsafe? Is it just being around the players who you think are supporting Russia, or something else that’s going on as you travel and you’re at tournaments?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: This feeling—I didn’t have this feeling before. The thing is, I know that the things I’m saying are uncomfortable for many players. I had no issue with this, because I knew it from previous tournaments.

The problem is when I saw that the WTA is clearly on their side. Because for them, what they are doing now, it’s making a sport with no values—only commercial [value].

And it’s something that is very sad, because I’m someone who is coming from a country at war. I was working so hard and so much. My father is in the army. My boyfriend is in the army. I was traveling alone for so many years. And now, when I’m coming here—after all the things in all this context I’m living in—the organization is putting me under pressure, because the things I’m saying can harm what? Actually, it’s harming only a commercial interest, because the war is not something sellable, you know? It’s not something from which you can make a fancy picture.

And of course [my] saying that some players are a part of the propaganda—even if I can prove it—it’s uncomfortable for them. Because for many people, when I’ve said, these things, they are like ‘Oh, we didn’t know that now; we will not [cheer] for them when they play.’ The people, they didn’t know this.

And I see that the organization, it became so commercial that they are not interested in these values. They just want people to have this picture that everything is nice, and we are just playing tennis.

Yeah, in this situation, me as someone who doesn’t have managers, big sponsorships, who is not a big star, when I’m saying something about the big names in tennis, even when I can prove it, they are putting me under pressure. Even if I’m suffering because of the actions of these people.

And that’s why I’m feeling unsafe, because the people who are against me, they’ve existed for all this time on tour. But when I started to say something, the people who should protect me, they are putting pressure on me. They are also blackmailing me by telling me that they will fine me, that they will put some sanctions on me. That’s what actually made these last months on tour horrible for me.

I was trying to talk to them; it was important to clarify the rules. But I was not getting answers to my questions. I was not getting answers on some initiatives: I had some humanitarian ideas; I didn’t get any answer.

When I did one of my last publications, about tennis players who liked the post of a Russian propagandist, the WTA told me that they will do very urgent research. They didn’t. I didn’t get any answers, still, about this.

I made a post; they didn’t want me to do this post, and it was made pretty clear that there was a chance that I will get some sanctions from them because of this publication. I didn’t get anything [yet]; I didn’t get any reaction from them right now.

I think they thought that, with this blackmailing, I will stop, you know, speaking. Because I feel like that was the goal: nobody actually wanted to communicate with me.

I don’t know what my mental condition was for the last two months. Maybe it was some kind of depression. Maybe I just was overstressed. I don’t know. I also was talking to their [WTA] mental health providers, but they didn’t help me in any way. I didn’t get any good results.

In the end I just got a feeling that these people tried to break me as a person. I saw that they are not open to communication; it’s just wrong for me.

So yeah, I will keep speaking with the facts. I don’t want to change myself because of someone who actually just wants to break my personality.

On Aryna Sabalenka

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: When you talk about the “propagandist” video, you’re talking about the one that Sabalenka liked, right?

[Ed.: The video made by Russian celebrity beauty influencer Victoria Bonya repeatedly addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin in flattering, sycophantic terms while also lamenting some aspects of Russian governance. Sabalenka, who was one of more than a million Instagram users who “liked” the viral video, later removed her “like” from the video some time after Oliynykova called attention to it.]

Oleksandra Oliynykova: Sabalenka, but there were also other players: Kudermetova, Gasanova…I already forgot the names, but I posted about them.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: If you can just explain this further—because I expect some people would ask—what is the harm of someone like Sabalenka liking a video like that on social media? What do you think that does?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: If we will talk about Sabalenka, in her specific context, it’s actually a very small thing. Because this is the person who signed this document for Lukashenko in 2020: during the protests [in Belarus], she supported him, and she has never [withdrawn] this signature.

[Ed.: While Sabalenka has not offered a full-throated rebuke of Lukashenko to Oliynykova’s satisfaction, after repeated questioning from a Ukrainian reporter at the 2023 French Open, Sabalenka said of the Belarusian dictator: “It’s a tough question. I don’t support war, meaning I don’t support Lukashenko right now.”]

There are videos where he’s hugging her. He still congratulates her on every win. And you know that in countries like Belarus, if the leader—he’s not the leader, he’s the dictator of the country—if he congratulates you, then you are absolutely loyal to the regime. That’s what we all understand.

[Ed.: In a September 2025 letter to Lukashenko, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated him on Sabalenka’s success: “We are especially pleased to acknowledge Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka’s tremendous win at the U.S. Open in New York. She represents the very best of your country, and we know you must be proud of her accomplishments.”]

The Politics of Aryna and an Empty Arena

But these likes are visible, and the likes from public people on this publication, they show that you’re agreeing with this. And when the normal people see that some big person, famous person—I think she’s the most famous Belarusian woman in the world—when they see this, they see that people agree with this. And if they agree with it, then it’s OK. And if it’s OK, then it helps form a society.

Of course it’s not only about one like of Sabalenka’s. It’s about all the system, which includes sports, music, television, films—all this. The cultural part of life creates the picture that war is normal, that Putin is doing something good, that Lukashenko is doing good.

Because if the people like this are liking this publication, are participating in some propagandistic tournaments, it’s creating the image that you can go to the war, you can kill Ukrainians, you can kill Ukrainian kids, rape Ukrainian women, and when you are coming back to Russia, you will still be accepted by society. Because your celebrities—the tennis players, football players, musicians, movie stars—they are accepting this. They are showing this acceptance by likes on social media, or comments or maybe some publication—it could be different things. But in general, these are the pieces which are creating this image in the heads of Russians: if they will do these horrible things, they will still have a society to come back to.

In another situation, if they will not feel that their favorite athletes, musicians and all these people will accept them, then these men with the guns, they would just turn these guns on Putin. But when the society is built this way, and the war is normalized, then yes, they will go to Ukraine and kill innocent people. That’s how propaganda works.

Closer to Fines

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: Just to be clear: you have not yet received any official sorts of fines or sanctions from WTA, right? It’s still just been talk and warnings?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: No, I received already. I received a fine.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: When did that happen?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: It was taken from my prize money in Charleston, around one month ago.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: How much was it for?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: It was much less than how they were trying to scare me. They tried to scare me with like, thousands and thousands and thousands—money I wouldn’t be able to pay them. But in the end it was much smaller. I think it was also part of trying to scare me. Right now I’m actually not even sure if I’m allowed to say this, but it happened.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: I think players can talk about fines—that’s allowed as a general thing.

Oleksandra Oliynykova: I don’t know; I’m not sure.

But yeah, at first they were trying to scare me that [fines] were supposed to be around $50,000 or $60,000—I’m not sure. I already forgot actually (laughs), because when I understood that this is actually their way to scare me and that it’s blackmailing, yeah, I decided not to think about this too much. In the end, they gave me a much smaller fine. But yeah, now I understand that this is a kind of manipulation, to scare me with that huge fine.

There was also the option of disqualification. But you know, what I’m just thinking now: if they will disqualify me for saying the truth, it would be sad, of course, but it would be more acceptable from my perspective than to try to put myself into these standards which I believe are not fair, and are not about sport, not about sportsmanship, but are just about the system to make money.

I mean, it’s a lot of aspects. I think there is also an aspect of communication with the public. It’s also important, because if you saw the video [of me] from Australia, I was so happy to see people there. I was open to them.

But at the last tournaments, I was feeling so bad, even in communication with people around. Because I was really feeling like I need to say something to them! I want them to hear me, because I need to share with them the things I know. I have some experience; I’m educated about this system, you know? I know what I’m saying.

But because they did not allow me to say it—“we will fine you, we will disqualify you,” all these things—I was feeling bad. I wanted to be at a distance from the public at one point, because I was feeling like what’s happening is fake. I was feeling like I wanted to go to the public to talk with people and everything, but in the same way, I was feeling this kind of shame, because of this system. I just wanted to go where there’s like no one around, not to talk to anyone, because when I talk I want be honest with people.

And of course not everyone did the research; not everybody knows how the things are connected. The WTA tried to sell this picture that everything is fine and everything is good on tour; they have put a lot of money to keep this picture, you know? And many people, they think that it is like this, that they are showing what’s happening. But it’s not true.

So yeah, I decided that it’s OK, if they want to disqualify or fine me, because I want to be open with the people. I made the decision to keep speaking.

After the match yesterday, I was again feeling these emotions to the crowd. I went to talk to people, to make photos, videos. And I was so happy, because that’s what I want to do on court.

I don’t want this corporate system which needs to have this sterilized picture to take this away from me. It’s very important for me as a person.

An Uncertain Future for a Newcomer

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: In one of your Instagram posts, you had one sentence that sort of jumped out. You said, “I do not know how long I will continue to play.”

Is that just you saying that generally? Or are you saying that you think some of these issues could cause you to stop playing?

Oleksandra Oliynykova: Yeah, of course, these issues can cause me to stop playing. Because, yeah, I’m still in some way recovering mentally. Because as I said: I am a victim of the war. I’m living under attacks and living in this system where they are making everything, like, opposite. Everybody is defending not the values, but the interests of the corporation, the financial interests, big money, big stars—but not the real truth, the facts. They’re putting me under pressure.

And then when I come home [to Ukraine], I see this reality. I see the buildings destroyed. I hear the attacks. Then I’m coming to the tournaments where everything is so fancy, so glamorous. And I see the people defending this glamorous [system], but they don’t want to defend the interests of the people who are suffering. They don’t want even me to say [anything] about these things. They are blocking my voice, even after all the things I’m seeing when I’m at home. I don’t know, even, how to explain this feeling, I think.

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: I think people who listen to you can understand the emotions at this point. I think you explained well.

And at the same time as all of this, your ranking keeps going up. You have this very solid Top 100—and better—ranking now. You have a ranking that will get you into the biggest tournaments, on the biggest stages. Maybe that could be gratifying to you, that you have this platform and this power in your status as a player now, that your voice can be heard and your message can be seen more than before.

Oleksandra Oliynykova: Yeah, that’s why I decided that I will not change what I’m saying because of them, even if I will harm someone’s financial interests. But in this way, I’m at risk to be disqualified. Even if the things I’m saying are absolutely proven. Even if it’s fact. Even if there’s something you can prove by researching for five minutes on Google—I still can be disqualified for this.

So I’m putting myself in the position. And you’re right: this is a platform to speak, and again I believe that sports are about humanity. I believe that this is a part of sport. All the things I said about communication, about fans, about being open, about speaking the truth—it’s all what sports are about. It’s not just only about money; it’s about fair competition. It’s about the emotions you’re going through.

It shouldn’t be just the machine of making money; for me, that’s wrong. If I accepted that, it’s losing all the sense of sport for me. So, I’m risking to be disqualified. So yeah, I’m in between these two [choices].

So now I’m recovering. I’m mentally better. But now I am at risk, because our rules are not clear. The system is not open. When you are getting these warnings and everything, they are closed, and the decision is made by some people who are just the bureaucrats in the system. We don’t see their faces; I never saw them in my life, but they are making the decisions on my career. And yeah, it’s a bit crazy. So yeah, now it’s unpredictable for me.

But yeah, my tennis is good. You’re right: I’m progressing. I’m trying to work hard, and yeah, I hope I will play even better. But my position right now, it is what it is (laughs). It’s not by mistake.

Again, I would love to actually help WTA to bring values back to sport, you know? I don’t want to talk against the association—even after all I said. The thing is that, again, I don’t know these people. But what they are doing is wrong, and it’s wrong for sports. I would love it if we could make all the systems more open; I would be happy to help to change it, to bring values: the values of humanity, of fair competition, of connection, communication—to bring it all back to sports.

Keeping It Social

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: One smaller question I was wondering about: has anyone at WTA ever asked you to change—or said anything about—your Instagram name, @_drones4ua.org_? I know sometimes the WTA will do a post where they tag or co-publish the post with a player, and I didn’t know if they were maybe reluctant to publish your username.

Oleksandra Oliynykova: (Laughs). This [URL] is my fundraising platform to support the Ukrainian army, which they banned [me from wearing the logo of].

They [asked] me once if I needed help to moderate my profile. It was not directly that I need to change my name, but I told them that I don’t need their help to moderate my posts. I was in communication with them about posting something, because they told me in one moment that I needed to talk to them, and that for them it would be very good if I will send the posts to them before I publish.

I was shocked, you know, but I was even trying to communicate with them on this. Now, I’m thinking it was so stupid, because they are censoring everything. But actually, in some way, let’s say there were some moves from them about my social media activity. It wasn’t strict like: go and change the name. It was a post they wanted to [address]. But again, it’s a very big problem when they are all the time protecting this image that everything is good for financial interest, and completely taking my free speech. Yeah, that’s what was happening.

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Shortly after our interview on Wednesday, Oliynykova posted a new slate of Instagram stories about the Ribbon of Saint George (Георгиевская лента), a Russian military symbol which she said Russian tennis players including Polina Kudermetova and Karen Khachanov had posted.

Oleksandra Oliynykova's Instagram stories from Wednesday.

Oliynykova next faces Linda Noskova in her third round match at ATP-WTA 1000 Rome. If she wins, she could face Sabalenka in the fourth round.

Thank you for reading Bounces. Again, I made this interview free because of the subject matter involved, but if you would like to support my work, please get yourself a subscription or give one as a gift to a tennis-fan friend. -Ben