Ukrainian tennis star Oliynykova advances to Hamburg Open quarterfinals, maintains anti-Russia stance

Oleksandra Oliynykova (25) formed a heart with her hands toward the Hamburg tennis crowd and beamed. The Ukrainian had played as wildly on the Center Court at Rothenbaum for 2 hours and 39 minutes as her flashy style suggests.

At the "MSC Hamburg Ladies Open" (prize money: €247,674), she advanced to the quarterfinals of a WTA tournament for the third time this year with a 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 win over Leyre Romero Gormaz (24/Spain) .

A Remarkable Rise

A year ago, Oliynykova was still ranked around world No. 300 — in 2026, she shot into the Top 50!

"Honestly, I have no idea why," says the woman with the striking tattoos. "I had no goals regarding the ranking. I only thought about what I could improve. It motivates me a lot to represent my country, and the most important thing for me is to play for my people. Tennis gives me the opportunity to support the people in Ukraine, to talk about Ukraine, and to support the army."

Political Stance and Controversy

Oliynykova consistently takes a clear stance against Russia. She:

• Donates parts of her prize money for drones and ammunition
• Raises additional funds via the platform "drones4ua.org"
• Publicly condemns Russian and Belarusian professionals for their behavior
• Has received a fine from the WTA for her political statements

She also criticizes players from other nations who participated in an exhibition tournament in St. Petersburg last winter.

In May, Oliynykova refused to shake hands with Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva (31) in Strasbourg and wrote on social media:

"Participating in a Gazprom tournament is direct, active support of the war against Ukraine. That will never be forgotten or reset. Accepting blood money is immoral and contradicts the concept of humanity."

Potential Clash at Rothenbaum

A clash with Putintseva (born in Moscow) could have also occurred at Rothenbaum. However, Putintseva lost on Thursday in the last match of the day to Elina Avanesyan (23/Armenia) 3-6, 6-2, 2-6.

Nevertheless, an icy duel threatens on Friday. Avanesyan only changed her citizenship from Russian to Armenian in 2024. That is why Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (31) also refused the usual post-match handshake with her.

Other Tournament Highlights

► On Monday, Mayar Sherif (30/Egypt) and Paula Badosa (28/Spain) played the rain-delayed final of the 250-level tournament in Iași, Romania. Badosa had to retire injured in the second set. Afterwards, both flew side by side for two and a half hours in a private jet to Hamburg at the expense of the Romanian organizer. They will face each other again on Friday in the quarterfinals. Former world No. 2 Badosa: "This is anything but normal. I expect a tough match."

► French Open finalist Maya Chwalinska (24/Poland) injured her ankle at Wimbledon and had to withdraw from Rothenbaum at short notice. The world No. 22 sent tournament director Sandra Reichel (54) a signed racket and a personal letter. A moved Reichel said: "Very classy! I've never experienced that before."

► At the wheelchair tennis tournament (prize money: €30,593), Britta Wend (30/Bielefeld) reached the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Lucy Shuker (46/England) . She will face third-seeded Ksenia Chasteau (20/France) on Friday.

Oliynykova's Focus

Oliynykova emphasizes that these special constellations do not affect her tennis: "Such matches have no greater significance for me than others."

Nevertheless, she also underscores in Hamburg: "The problem is that some players participate in a tournament organized by a sponsor of war crimes. There is no appropriate response. I believe that violates the values of sport. I have clearly positioned myself on this. But during the match itself, it's only about tennis."

Life Off the Court

Off the court, her thoughts are with friends and family in Ukraine.

"Sometimes it's really hard," says Oliynykova. "I live in Ukraine, and sometimes, between tournaments, I can't rest properly. I have no idea where to go. If I lose in the first round somewhere, I start thinking about what options there are. I have many friends in different countries, but I struggle with this problem. Emotionally, it's also very hard for me. The people close to me, my family, my boyfriend, my friends — they are in Ukraine, and I haven't seen them for months."