Madison Keys’ Australian Open Opponent Oleksandra Oliynykova Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Soldier Father Currently in War to Protect Ukraine
Madison Keys will face fellow compatriot Ashlyn Krueger in the second round of the Australian Open.
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Oleksandra Oliynykova and Madison Keys (via X/Jose Morgado)
Oleksandra Oliynykova fell to defending champion Madison Keys in the first round of the Australian Open, but the Ukrainian got the attention of the tennis world after giving a brilliant performance on the court. The World No.92 then shared her thoughts about the war between her country and Russia.
Oliynykova arrived in Melbourne for her first Australian Open in her career and first tour-level tournament having featured only in the ITF. She had not met a player in the top 50 of the WTA rankings before the Australian Open. She faced No.9 seed Keys on Tuesday (January 20) at the Center Court in Melbourne Park.
Oliynykova kept Keys off-stride at the beginning of their encounter, hitting unusual sequences of shots, including high lobs and tweener shots, forcing Keys deep behind her baseline. The Ukrainian star’s unorthodox style of play and defense saw her break Keys twice, and she was running away with a 4-0 lead before the defending champion woke up.
Keys forced the first set to a tiebreak and claimed it before cruising in the second set to win the match 7-6(6), 6-1. Oliynykova had a number of facial tattoos, which she later revealed were temporary. Her parents were political refugees, but her heart has always been for Ukraine, and she’s proudly representing the country.
Unlike other professional Ukrainian players, Oliynykova still trains back home despite the constant threat of Russia’s attack. She noted after the match that her father, who is a soldier, is the biggest supporter in her career and that has always been his dream of seeing her compete in the biggest tournaments:
My father is a soldier. I’m alone here. Before, I was traveling with him. My father is my biggest support since my childhood in everything. I’m so proud of him. This is something that’s keeping me motivated even more. After he joined the military, I did progress over 200 positions [in the rankings]. I know it was his dream to see me on this court. I cannot explain these feelings. When you’re in this situation, you can put the right priorities in your life.
Oliynykova was the star of the match despite losing to Keys as she accepted loud applause from the crowd at the Center Court in Melbourne Park. She then signed autographs before waving a Ukrainian flag on the court. She hopes that this will be a major step forward in her career this season.
Madison Keys admits she played timidly in her first-round match at the Australian Open
12 months ago, Madison Keys stunned Aryna Sabalenka to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open at 29. However, she failed to push for more titles last year because she couldn’t sustain the momentum. She kicked off her 2026 season at the Brisbane International and Adelaide International.
At both tournaments, she crashed out in the quarter-finals. Before her opening match, she admitted that she’s yet to fully get over her victory in Melbourne last year. During her press conference, she revealed that she played against Oleksandra Oliynykova with a little timidity and didn’t trust her game:
I think at the start I just felt like I was playing just a little timid and not really trusting my first instinct. I kind of kept changing my mind on what I actually wanted to do. That was really slowing down my footwork as well. I was reacting instead of having a plan of what I wanted to do.
Keys’ match at the Australian Open was her 50th Grand Slam match. The Grand Slam champion will have to do more on the court if she wants to defend the title, as the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek are eager to win it. She will take on fellow compatriot Ashlyn Krueger in the second round of the tournament.
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