--- title: "Oleynikova Criticizes Kalinina for Doubles Partnership with Bondar at US Open 2026: 'Russian Athletes Are Part of a Bloody System'" description: "Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oleynikova publicly criticized Angelina Kalinina for her doubles partnership with Hungarian Anna Bondar at the US Open 2026, calling participation in Russian exhibition tournaments part of propaganda." date: 2026-08-23T07:56:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/oleynikova-criticizes-kalinina-for-doubles-partnership-with-bondar-at-us-open-2026 tags: [tennis, us-open-2026, ukraine, wta, doubles] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Oleynikova Criticizes Kalinina for Doubles Partnership with Bondar at US Open 2026: 'Russian Athletes Are Part of a Bloody System' ![Tennis player in a pink outfit hitting the ball on a clay court amid the controversy over Kalinina and Bondar's doubles pairing at US Open-2026](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/23/oleynikova-raskritikovala-kalininu-za-duet-s-bondar-na-us-open-2026/oleynikova-raskritikovala-kalininu-za-duet-s-bondar-na-us-open-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Oleynikova criticized Kalinina for her doubles partnership with Bondar at the US Open 2026 due to the Hungarian's participation in a tournament in Saint Petersburg in 2022. - Oleynikova played against Bondar twice this year and refused the post-match handshake in both cases. - Six Ukrainians were included in the preliminary entry for the US Open 2026 doubles draw; the women's doubles tournament will run from September 3 to 11. - The US Open 2026 set a record prize fund of over 100 million dollars. Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oleynikova voiced harsh public criticism of her compatriot Angelina Kalinina over her decision to compete in the doubles draw at the US Open alongside Hungarian representative Anna Bondar. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing Oleynikova's statement on Instagram. The incident unfolds against the backdrop of the tournament's record prize fund and a growing debate over how Ukrainian athletes use their international platform amid the war. ### Grounds for the Resonance The trigger for Oleynikova's outrage was Anna Bondar's participation in 2022 in the exhibition tournament 'Trophies of the Northern Palmira' in Saint Petersburg. According to the Ukrainian player, any participation in such events makes a foreign athlete part of the aggressor country's propaganda system. 'Russian athletes are part of a bloody system. Those who are not Russians but travel to propaganda tournaments for the money of companies that sponsor war crimes are consciously becoming part of this system,' Oleynikova stated, adding that she saw a Ukrainian paired with such an athlete at the US Open and noticed 'no reaction, outrage, or even a desire' from those around her. ### Oleynikova's Position It should be noted that Oleynikova herself crossed paths with Bondar on the court twice this year — winning once and losing once. In both cases she refused the post-match handshake, which underscores the consistency of her stance. Six Ukrainians were included in the preliminary entry for the US Open doubles draw, and it was in this context that Oleynikova directed her criticism at Kalinina, who, paired with Bondar, made it into the tournament's entry list. ### The 'Resource' of Ukrainians in the Top 100 Oleynikova also emphasized that sporting records — in particular, the presence of several Ukrainians in the world's top 100 — lose their meaning if the players' popularity and financial resources do not work toward helping Ukraine. 'You can have ten Ukrainians in the top 100 and set a bunch of records — but it carries weight only when your popularity, money, and voice are also a resource. This is millions for the Ukrainian army that were not collected. Because around it is a beautiful tennis life. Tournaments, photo shoots, victories. Don't touch it. Don't spoil the atmosphere. Don't ask uncomfortable questions,' she wrote. It was previously reported that Oleynikova stopped competing at the Cincinnati tournament, losing in a principled confrontation against 'neutral' Myra Andreeva. ### US Open 2026: Lineup and Prize Fund The women's doubles tournament at the US Open 2026 begins on September 3 and ends on September 11. According to Sport.ua, six Ukrainians were included in the preliminary entry for the doubles draw, and, according to the publication's assessment, seven representatives of Ukraine are in the world's top 100. Meanwhile, the US Open 2026 has set a record prize fund exceeding 100 million dollars, making the tournament one of the most financially significant events of the season and strengthening Oleynikova's argument that the attention and money around Ukrainian tennis should be converted into real support for the country. ### Contradictory Data Different figures appear in the publications, which is important to distinguish. In the text of the statement and in Sport.ua's materials, the reference is to six Ukrainians in the preliminary entry for the US Open doubles draw. At the same time, the Sport.ua headline points to seven Ukrainians in the world's top 100, while in Oleynikova's own quote 'ten Ukrainians in the top 100' is used as a rhetorical hypothetical example, not as a factual indicator. Thus, the difference in numbers (6, 7, and 10) reflects different metrics — the doubles entry composition, the actual number in the top 100, and a hypothetical illustration — and is not a direct factual contradiction; however, it requires careful separation when quoting so as not to conflate the entry list with ranking figures. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [This Is Just Professional Racket-Waving: Oleynikova Harshly Criticizes Ukrainian Tennis Players](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/tse-prosto-profesiyne-mahannya-raketkoyu-1787471633.html) - Первичный источник заявления Олейниковой в Instagram: критика Калининой, ссылка на турнир в Санкт-Петербурге 2022 года, отказ от рукопожатий с Бондар, цитата о топ-100. - [Kichenok in One Partnership. Six Ukrainians Will Play in the US Open 2026 Doubles Draw](https://sport.ua/news/900451-kichenok-v-odnom-duete-shest-ukrainok-sygrayut-v-parnom-razryade-us-open-2026) - Подтверждает наличие шести украинок в парном разряде US Open-2026. - [OLEYNIKOVA: 7 Ukrainians in the Top 100! How Much of This Resource Works for the Country?](https://sport.ua/news/900449-oleynikova-7-ukrainok-v-top-100-skolko-etogo-resursa-rabotaet-na-stranu) - Подтверждает наличие шести украинок в парном разряде US Open-2026. - [Over $100 Million: US Open 2026 Sets a Record Prize Fund](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/sport/tenis/20260821-ponad-100-mln-us-open-2026-vstanovyv-rekordnyj-pryzovyj-fond/) - Подтверждает рекордный призовой фонд US Open-2026 свыше 100 млн долларов. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why did Oleynikova criticize Kalinina? **A:** Because Kalinina competed in the US Open doubles draw paired with Anna Bondar, who played in an exhibition tournament in Saint Petersburg in 2022. Oleynikova considers such participation part of the propaganda system. ### Q: How many Ukrainians are entered in the US Open 2026 doubles draw? **A:** Six Ukrainians were included in the preliminary entry for the doubles draw. Separately, according to Sport.ua, seven representatives of Ukraine are in the world's top 100. ### Q: When will the US Open 2026 women's doubles tournament take place? **A:** From September 3 to 11, 2026. ### Q: What is the prize fund for the US Open 2026? **A:** The tournament set a record prize fund exceeding 100 million dollars.