ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2026

Oleksandra Oliynykova

Press Conference

D. SHNAIDER/O. Oliynykova

7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Oleksandra, obviously not the result you wanted today, but a very strong performance throughout the whole tournament. How pleased were you with your run here?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: Yeah, I mean, for me this was a really good debut on Roland Garros. It's my first Roland Garros ever. I didn't play it even in juniors. So, yeah, to start here with two wins, and I think it's really good. I have a lot of things to improve in my game, but I know this, and I will keep working.

For sure the conditions here are really hard. Yeah, after playing six sets in one day, I'm still physically really tired.

Before we start with the questions, I would like to read a short speech I have, because I have very important statement.

I know that some people disagree with my actions. I know that some people would prefer that I stay silent. But what I do is not about politics, it's about humanity. When people are being killed, while children are dying, when violence is justified or celebrated, we cannot pretend that nothing is happening. We cannot look away. We cannot protect those who support or excuse such actions.

Our organization was not built by pioneers like Billie Jean King so that money and luxury could become the only values in women's tennis. They wanted something bigger than that. They wanted us to have a voice, to inspire others to make the world better, to be role models for young athletes.

Being a role model is not about the size of your bank account. It's not about expensive watches, private jets, or luxury brands. A real role model has the courage to stand against evil. A real role model speaks when it's easier to stay silent. A real role model has the determination to act when action is needed.

We as players have responsibility that goes beyond tennis, because sports should always stand with humanity, and humanity should never be optional.

Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. At the end of the match, you know, it felt like the whole time you had a lot of support, and then you stepped into the court and waved to everyone and spent a lot of time with them. What was it like in that moment and to have that reaction from the fans?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: Yeah, I was really happy to see so many fans. I always love to spend the time after my match with the people. Yeah, I'm thankful to every person who is coming to support who is bringing this attention to the sport.

Yeah, I love my fans around the world. Yeah, I mean, for me it's a pleasure to spend the time with them.

Q. You made a really powerful statement there. I'm just wondering, have you spoken to the Ukrainian players, and have they kind of helped you in delivering what you have said there? They agree, I suppose, with what you said? Have Ukrainian players ever talked to Russian players and try to change their mind and discuss the issue with them?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: Can you please repeat the second question?

Q. The second bit was I wonder if you have ever tried to discuss the issue and discuss the war with Russian players and what kind of response you've had, if you have tried that?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: About the other Ukrainian players, we have solidarity. All the Ukrainian players you see on tour, we have absolutely solidarity. Every girl tries to do what she can and what she feels, because we all have different experience, but we all stand with our country.

The Russian players, let's be real, they don't want to communicate. They have these horrible beliefs. Yeah, that's what we have right now on tour. For me this is something what I think we need to stop to accept in the professional sports.

Yeah, if they don't want to hear and they continue to spread this propaganda, then there should be some mechanism in our tour to stop this.

Q. I was reading earlier about your dad coming to watch. I wondered what that was like for you to have him here for this tournament?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: About my dad? Yeah, I mean, I'm so happy that he came here, that he saw my first win, because last time he saw my match it was on 35 ITF. Actually I injured my leg in Strasbourg, and I was so worried if I will be able to show, like, some good performance here. Like the physio, they scared me so much that it would became even worse, and in the end, I played three solid matches, and I made third round.

Yeah, I'm so happy, and he told me after every match, I'm so proud of you. It was so important. Now I don't know when he will see my tournament next time.

So, yeah, I mean, what it was for him, I think it's maybe the most important, what I had on this tournament, to see his emotion and to hear these words from him.

Q. There was some extra security around your court during the match. I wondered if you were aware of that and what you thought of that?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: Oh, I didn't know that there was security.

Q. It looked like there were extra security personnel just around the court during the match.

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: No, I didn't know that it was, like, extra security. But, in general, like, I know that organizers of the tournament, they feel like some responsibility. But me personally, I don't feel like I need security.

Yeah, I'm walking here around because I feel like the people who are coming here, they have intentions just to watch the match, to cheer for their favorite players, and to think that something can happen is really low.

Me, when I will come home, I will lay under the bombs. Having this contrast that here I'm all the time with the security, because they scared of this small, small chance that something going to happen here when, actually, the people who are coming here, they are friendly to you. They are the fans of tennis. I would love to spend more time with them.

Yeah, still, as I told it, so many security here, and I feel like nobody is talking about the fact that when I will come back home, I will be attacked with drones and rockets. For me, this contrast, I feel really strange about it.

But, yeah, I didn't know about extra security, but I don't think that it was something what we needed. In the end, the atmosphere on the match, I didn't saw, like, anyone who was aggressive today, like any single person.

Q. Marta Kostyuk before you came on the tour, she was probably one of the more outspoken Ukrainian players, and she was in here yesterday saying that after so many years, she didn't have the energy to continue being so outspoken and stating her opinion. I'm curious just what is the toll like for you on this, constantly speaking out and trying to make your voice heard? Is there an emotional toll?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: For me if I will stay silent, if I will get tired, I don't see any sense of being here. I believe that the mission of the sport is to unite people to stay together for some right things.

Yeah, I mean, how can I get tired? When I will come back home -- I mean, this war, it defines my life, because my future is in Ukraine. My father, he's coming back to the Army. My boyfriend, he's a soldier. Everything in my life is defined by war.

I'm speaking about this situation now, about that we are suffering because of the aggression. And that here are people who are getting this popularity, influence, money to support the war, and their views are dangerous. The silence here on tour is dangerous, and that's not right.

If I going to be silent, I don't understand what I'm doing here, and how could I if I will not try to do everything to help Ukraine to win this war, my life would be destroyed. The people I love, they would be killed. I will be killed. I don't see any other option for me.

Q. I was going to ask about your father. Now he has to go back to the Army? Does he have to go back to the front line and fight?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: He has vacation. He has one more week, and then he goes back to Ukraine, yes.

Q. How hard is it knowing that he's there, and you're trying to be here playing tennis?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: For me it's something very hard and emotional, but, you know, in some way there is some part to play, like, for my country, for my values, but also for him, because this is something we made together. This results we made together.

He believes in me. How he believes when I was playing futures, because when I was 21, I was ranked 800. Like, everybody told me that I will never rise above 500.

His support and this believing that I will be a player of Grand Slam level, it was somewhere on the level of the fanatism. Of course, in this situation I'm always saying that I'm playing for him. Yeah, I think it's important for both of us.

Q. Diana was here before, and she said she didn't know anything you said here in the last couple of days, and she didn't want to comment on the war. What are your thoughts on that?

OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA: Yes, she don't want to comment on the war, because if she will say her opinion, it would be very big scandal, but I show you the proofs.

The thing is that someone needs to react. I want to stop the tour being so hypocritic pretending they cannot do anything, because I said in one of my interviews, they have the mechanism. You can be sanctious if you participating in tournament organized by betting company, but if they have this mechanism, why they will not use this to the tournament organized by war crimes sponsor?

This person don't want to say anything about it, because she know that something she did here, it would be unacceptable from the people who lives in Europe who believe in some democratic values, who believe in freedom, and she knows it. But she have this fanatic ideas, what she's liking, the propagandists she reads, what I proved last time.

The tournament where she participating, she knows what they are doing. They just have this glorification in Russia that they are above all the world, that they have this, like, strong leader and everything. They think that here all the things is not acceptable, that it's because, like, just crazy Europeans.

I mean, this is what their propaganda is saying. Their propaganda is full of hate to the France as well, to the Germany, to so many countries.

She don't want to share, but still she's coming here. She's earning this money, publicity, and she's going to go there. She's going to -- how to say -- yeah, she's going to do what she did. She's going to use all these things, like the social part and probably financial part, this part I don't know, but in the participation of propaganda. I proved this.

So she's going to reinvest it to the things she supports. But if she would say so, of course for her it's easier to, No, oh, I don't know anything, I don't want to comment this.

That's what I told in the previous interview. That's what they are doing, because they know the reaction, but they want to stay here. They want to earn money. They want to be in public. They want to use this to support their dictators.

That's what they want to do and what we need to stop to accept.