Hong Kong (AFP) - Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova, who experiences the contrast between living in kyiv and constantly traveling around the world, told AFP this Tuesday that the fact that the world of sport once again integrates Russia is a "propaganda victory" for Moscow.

First modification: 11/03/2026 - 17:27 Last modification: 11/03/2026 - 17:36

The player, 25 years old and living in the capital, kyiv, also launched a heartfelt request to US President Donald Trump to give Ukraine the interceptor missiles it needs to defend itself.

Oliynykova spoke to AFP during the Hong Kong Open, just hours after Russia again punished Ukraine with deadly nighttime attacks.

Father and boyfriend in the army

The war is especially personal for Oliynykova — who reached the best ranking of her career, 41st in the world on the WTA circuit in September — because her father and her boyfriend are in the armed forces.

He has also seen firsthand the magnitude of the destruction caused in Ukraine since the invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

Oliynykova, who this year has become one of the most vocal Ukrainian athletes, is emotional when explaining her feelings.

"When I see the news I feel a lot of empathy and it is very painful for me to see it, and it is also something very personal," he said.

Oliynykova explained that she is often struck by the contrast between life on the tennis circuit and reality at home.

"When I come home alive under attacks, I see destroyed buildings," he said, his voice on the verge of breaking with emotion.

"Sometimes I am not only in kyiv, I have been in cities that are close to the front and that suffer a lot."

The tennis player said that she frequently wakes up due to explosions in kyiv, where there are also power outages.

"You wake up and you hear that sound, the apartment shakes," he said after losing his opening match in Hong Kong in straight sets.

"Let's say you come home after training, there's no electricity, you have to walk up to the 20th floor, you're already tired, you want to rest. And you can't even take a shower, plus in Ukraine winter is cold."

"We need Patriot to save lives"

Although the war drags on, international sports are softening their stance towards Russian athletes.

Russia's men's and women's ice hockey teams will be able to return to the world championship in 2027 after a five-year absence.

Additionally, Russia will host the 2030 world weightlifting championships.

In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) relaxed restrictions on Russian athletes and opened a path for them to compete in qualifying events for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Oliynykova, who this year played in all four Grand Slam tournaments in a big leap in her career, is raising her voice because she wants the world to know what her country and its people are going through.

"This is horrible because these people are part of Russian propaganda," he said.

"It's a victory for Russian propaganda, as if they have accepted the people, the symbols of the country that is killing people every day. They have accepted the people who are supporting these horrible things."

When asked if she has a message for Trump, who once promised to end the war within 24 hours, Oliynykova repeated her government's request for Patriot missiles, one of the most important weapons systems Ukraine has to intercept Russian attacks.

"We need Patriot to defend our cities, to achieve air defense and save lives," he said.

"Right now the Russians are terrorizing us, they are terrorizing kyiv. There are more attacks than ever, many civilians are dying."

© 2026 AFP

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