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UKRAINIAN STAR OLIYNYKOVA DEMANDS SABALENKA BAN AFTER EMOTIONAL 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN PROTEST

Oleksandra Oliynykova wore a defiant T-shirt to her press conference after losing to Madison Keys. Get the exclusive details.

Ukrainian star Oliynykova demands Sabalenka ban after emotional 2026 Australian Open protest
Should Aryna Sabalenka be disqualified?

Oleksandra Oliynykova didn’t slip quietly out of the Australian Open, even though she lost in the first round. The Ukrainian tennis player, knocked out by Madison Keys, had a message she wanted the world to hear.

Right after her match, Oliynykova pulled on a T-shirt that read, “I need your help to protect Ukrainian children and women, but I can’t talk about it here.” She wasn’t just making a statement for herself—she wanted action. She called on the ATP and WTA to ban world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and other players from Russia and Belarus from professional tennis.

For Oliynykova, who grew up in Kyiv and whose father is now a soldier fighting for Ukraine, this isn’t just about sport. She says letting Russian and Belarusian players compete is “very wrong”, especially with the war raging back home. Even though Sabalenka has said she doesn’t support the war or Belarusian President Lukashenko now, Oliynykova isn’t convinced. She pointed out that Sabalenka signed a letter backing Lukashenko in 2020, before Russia invaded Ukraine.

“It’s not right that they’re allowed to play while athletes in other sports get banned,” Oliynykova told The Age. “People see us all on court together and think everything’s normal, but they don’t see what’s going on behind the scenes. The people with money and power are using it to support aggression against my country. They could speak out, but they don’t.”

She doesn’t talk to Russian or Belarusian players in the locker room and hates seeing them there. Her anger isn’t just political—it’s personal. The night before she flew to Australia, a drone attack hit her neighbour’s apartment, and her own building shook. She says players who support Putin or Lukashenko are part of the reason her home isn’t safe.

She’s proud of her father and says his decision to join the military pushes her to fight harder on the court. Since he enlisted, her ranking has shot up more than 200 places. She’s also trying to earn enough prize money to buy drones for Ukraine’s defence.

Officially, Grand Slam rules say no political statements at venues, but Tennis Australia says there’s actually no rule stopping her. The Ukrainian Embassy in Australia thanked Oliynykova on social media for speaking out, saying Russian and Belarusian athletes shouldn’t be allowed to compete internationally while the war continues.

After her match, her dad messaged her, calling her “amazing”. She nearly cried reading it.

Tennis Australia has yet to respond to requests for comment.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH

After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.

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Novak Djokovic loses first-ever Australian Open final to unstoppable Carlos Alcaraz

After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.

Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.

For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.

This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.

In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.

Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.

Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.

Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.

WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY

Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.

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Samuel Lopez is the perfect strategic fit for Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.

Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.

Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.

Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.

Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.

With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.

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