Ukrainian tennis player Alexandra Oлейnikova, after winning her opening match at the WTA 500 tournament in Singapore, used the moment after the match to make an emotional appeal to the international audience. At the end of her match against American Vivian Wolff, the athlete asked the spectators not merely to enjoy the tennis, but to pay attention to the situation in the occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, where, in her words, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the tennis player's personal Instagram and a widely shared post by the Ukrainian Tennis Community (@utc.tennis).
Emotional Appeal to the Spectators
“You know that I am from Ukraine, and we are at war right now. After the match, I want to ask you for one thing: please, Google the information about Oleshky. They are currently temporarily occupied, and there is a humanitarian catastrophe there,” Oлейnikova stated. She emphasized that reports are coming in that local residents are starving, have no access to humanitarian aid or medicines, and are unable to leave or evacuate. “So I am asking each of you: when you finish watching this wonderful tournament, look up the information and spread it — share it everywhere, so that we can save the lives of Ukrainians,” the athlete added, addressing the crowd gathered at the tournament.
Course of the Match Against Vivian Wolff
Oлейnikova played the first-round match confidently, without giving her opponent much trouble. American Vivian Wolff was unable to impose a fight, and the Ukrainian won in two sets with a score of 6:1, 7:6. This result allowed her to advance to the next stage of the tournament, where a tougher challenge awaits her.
Humanitarian Situation in Oleshky
Oлейnikova's appeal is backed up by official statements from Kyiv. As Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reported, Oleshky in Kherson Oblast have been under a full blockade for more than six months. According to him, more than six thousand people remain in the city, including around two hundred children. Sybiha noted that the occupying forces are not allowing humanitarian aid into the settlement, leaving local residents in extremely difficult conditions. It is precisely this picture — hunger, lack of medicines, and the inability to evacuate — that the tennis player asked to be conveyed to the world audience.
What Comes Next in the Tournament
In the second round of the WTA 500 tournament in Singapore, Alexandra Oлейnikova will face Poland's Maya Hrawińska. Reaching the round of 16 confirms that the Ukrainian continues to build form confidently on the autumn series of tournaments. It is also noted separately that Oлейnikova had previously announced her intention to donate her US Open prize money to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which makes her public stance amid the war consistent.
