VIDEO SHOWS: PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS FROM UKRAINE'S OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA AFTER DEFEAT TO DEFENDING CHAMPION MADISON KEYS IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN FIRST ROUND / SOUNDBITE OF KEYS ON OLIYNYKOVA'S UNORTHODOX STYLE RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 20, 2026) (TENNIS AUSTRALIA - See restrictions) 1. UKRAINE'S OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA WALKING IN FOR PRESS CONFERENCE AND BEING SEATED 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TATTOOS ON HER FACE, SAYING: "It's temporary tattoos, so I take them off after the match with like cleansing oil. And that doesn't have meaning. Because I just got some fun idea at the US Open. I was going shopping and I saw this like face tattoo, these fake tattoos. And then I started to change them. I played with stars, with hearts. Now it's flowers. So yeah, it's part of the style. And maybe you saw it was matching the outfit and the courts as well. Blue dress, blue flowers, blue court." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER SHIRT, THE DECISION TO WEAR IT AND WHAT'S IT LIKE TO HAVE HER FATHER SERVING FOR UKRAINE IN THIS PERIOD, SAYING: "My father is my biggest support since my childhood and everything. And yeah, but I'm so proud of him. And actually, this is something that's keeping me motivated even more. And after he joined the military, I did progress for over 200 positions, because it's, I know it was his dream to see me on this court. And yeah, I cannot explain these feelings, but when you are in this situation, you can put the right priorities in your life. And I would do everything to make him even more proud. And he told me that it was an amazing match. He just texted me. And yeah, I made his dream come true in such a situation. What could be more— what could be the biggest motivation? I cannot imagine this." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING THIS MESSAGE FOR UKRAINE USING HER PLATFORM, SAYING: "And yeah, I really know and can share how people can help to protect our civilians, our kids. To protect me specifically, because I'm practicing in Ukraine. I did preparation for this tournament in Ukraine. And during my preparation, I was hearing the explosions. There were a couple of massive attacks last time, last night I spent in Ukraine before the trip here. There was an explosion just near my home. And a Shahed drone hit the home just across the road. My apartment was literally shaking because of the explosion. So yeah. I know how people can help to protect Ukrainians—to protect them against these drones. But we will need to speak outside about this." 8. WHITE FLASH 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA WHEN ASKED IF SHE THINKS IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE OLYMPIANS FROM HER COUNTRY ALSO TO SHARE THE MESSAGE TO THE MEDIA DURING THE WINTER OLYMPICS, SAYING: "I don't know a lot of Winter Olympians, for sure. But yes, of course, it's important. Every competition is important, every opportunity to say something about Ukraine, because it's sad. But people, they—because this war is very long. And I think people are losing their attention after so many years. But now, in Ukraine, we don't have electricity. In my apartment, I have no electricity, no water, no heat. And that's what's going on. And every opportunity to say about this, I believe it's very important. And of course, Olympics, it's Olympics. What can I say more?" 10. WHITE FLASH 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLEKSANDRA OLIYNYKOVA WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER HAVE A VERY UNIQUE KIND OF GAME STYLE, SAYING: "Since I started my pro career, I was hearing that I would not be in the top thousand, then in the top 500, in the top 300, then in the top 100, and all these people telling me that I wouldn't be able to progress with this game style, but I’m actually— my idea is to do my weird things on court, but to be the best player with this thing in this type of game. And I think it's, I mean, I saw today that even for the best, one of the best players in the world, it could be really uncomfortable. So yeah, I will probably keep improving to be even better in this, in the typical game style. I see it's possible." 12. WHITE FLASH 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN OPEN DEFENDING CHAMPION MADISION KEYS, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE MOON-BALLING STYLE OF OLIYNYKOVA, SAYING: "Like 12 and a half years. And that's obviously no disrespect to her at all, but it's just been a really long time to play someone who plays that style, but she does it so effectively. And I feel like her, because I had obviously, I wasn't able to watch a ton. There wasn't a lot that I could actually find online. But it was kind of deceiving and then having to play the match. They're so high and they're so deep. It was really hard. I felt like I couldn't really take a swing volley or kind of like take it off of the bounce just because she hit such a good ball off of that. So I felt like I really kind of just had to— wait for the right opportunities, but no, I was genuinely impressed with how well she's able to hit that ball." 14. WHITE FLASH 15. KEYS LEAVING PRESSER STORY: Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova may have fallen to Madison Keys but her Australian Open debut on Tuesday (January 20) delivered something far more precious and memorable than victory -- hope, pride and temporary tattoos that matched the court. Making her first appearance in any main draw above ITF level, Oliynykova surged to a shock 4-0 lead in the opening set before Keys' class eventually told in a match that showcased the 25-year-old's unconventional style. Despite the straight-sets loss, a beaming Oliynykova waved to the fans after a warm embrace with Keys, with the defending champion also applauding the Ukrainian as she soaked it all in. "For me, it's the best experience in my career. I never played before. Actually, I never played even (a WTA) 250 main draw and I never played in a big arena," Oliynykova told reporters. "To get this experience, it's something that I'll remember until the end of my life." Her unique playing style has drawn scepticism, with Oliynykova frequently lobbing returns or moonballing shots that forced an uncomfortable Keys to adjust, but the world number 92 remains undaunted by the criticism. "Since I started my (pro career), I was hearing that I will not be in top 1,000, then in top 500, in top 300, and in top 100. All these people (were) telling me that I won't be able to progress with this game style," she said. "My idea is to do my 'weird' things on court, to be the best player with this type of game. I saw today that even for one of the best players in the world, it could be really uncomfortable." Her temporary face tattoos -- blue flowers that matched her outfit and the court -- added a splash of individuality to the occasion. But beneath the playful exterior lies a story of resilience. Oliynykova's father is currently serving as a soldier in Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, a situation that has transformed her motivation on court. "After he joined the military, I did progress for over 200 positions, because I know it was his dream to see me on this court," she said. "When he told me that it was (an) amazing match, he just texted me, I made his dream come true in such a situation." The reality of her preparation also painted a stark picture. Oliynykova said there was an explosion near her home on the last night she was in Ukraine before travelling to Australia. "A drone hit the home just across the road. My apartment was literally shaking because of the explosion," she said. Despite the circumstances, Oliynykova refused to be disappointed by the result. "It's not always about winning or losing," she said. "I cannot be disappointed, because for me, I try to see sport more than just results." (Production: Bhagya Ayyavoo) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
