In a heartwarming story coming out of the ongoing Australian Open 2026, Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, who lost to the reigning champion Madison Keys, said that making her soldier father proud was more important than the result. Oleksandra, ranked 92nd in the world, pushed Keys to the limits in the first set before conceding it 6-7 (8/6); she lost the second set (1-6), eventually going down in the biggest Slam match of her career.&nbsp;However, despite losing the second-round match, the 25-year-old Ukrainian, who sported temporary tattoos on her face, wore pride on his sleeves and was full of smiles before she left the Rod Laver Arena, signing autographs.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">𝑹𝑶𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 into the second round is Madison Keys 🤩 PS: How good was it of Keys to let Oliynykova have her moment post match too!<a href="https://twitter.com/wwos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wwos</a> • <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> • <a href="https://twitter.com/tntsports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntsports</a> • <a href="https://twitter.com/wowowtennis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wowowtennis</a> • <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO26?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO26</a> <a href="https://t.co/u3o9hlALyU">pic.twitter.com/u3o9hlALyU</a>&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/2013438605201399855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"For me, it's the best experience in my career," she said after making her first appearance at a Grand Slam. "It's something that I'll remember until the end of my life."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/another-level-of-greatness-unlocked-novak-djokovic-records-100th-win-at-australian-open-1768826959489">Another level of greatness unlocked: Novak Djokovic records 100th win at Australian Open</a>&nbsp;Oliynykova, who led 6-4 in the first-set tiebreak as she threatened a massive shock, previously represented Croatia. Her parents were political refugees, but her heart was always in Ukraine, and she now proudly represents the country. Unlike other professional Ukrainian tennis players, Oliynykova still trains in her homeland despite the constant threat of Russian attacks. Just before she flew to Australia, the Kyiv native came close to being hit in one such incursion.&nbsp;"There was an explosion just near my home and a drone hit the home just across the road," she said. "My apartment was literally shaking because of the explosion."&nbsp;Oliynykova's father is serving in the Ukrainian military, and he is never far from her mind. He used to travel with her to tournaments, and she called him "my biggest support since my childhood in everything".&nbsp;"I know it was his dream to see me on this court," she said. "I will do everything to make him even more proud. I made his dream come true."&nbsp;(With inputs from AFP)

Oliynykova, unlike other professional Ukrainian tennis players, still trains in her homeland despite the constant threat of Russian attacks, and just before she flew to Australia, the Kyiv native came close to being hit in one such incursion.

In a heartwarming story coming out of the ongoing Australian Open 2026, Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, who lost to the reigning champion Madison Keys, said that making her soldier father proud was more important than the result. Oleksandra, ranked 92nd in the world, pushed Keys to the limits in the first set before conceding it 6-7 (8/6); she lost the second set (1-6), eventually going down in the biggest Slam match of her career. However, despite losing the second-round match, the 25-year-old Ukrainian, who sported temporary tattoos on her face, wore pride on his sleeves and was full of smiles before she left the Rod Laver Arena, signing autographs.

Oliynykova, unlike other professional Ukrainian tennis players, still trains in her homeland despite the constant threat of Russian attacks, and just before she flew to Australia, the Kyiv native came close to being hit in one such incursion.

Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova makes soldier dad's ‘dream come true’ at Australian Open

As the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open (AO) has its own history, feel, and pulse. Held in the Southern Hemisphere, far from the other three majors, it naturally feels different. That distance, both literal and cultural, is exactly what makes it special. The Australian Open is where players get their first chance each year to make a statement. This season, the spotlight is on Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who both need one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. Winning in Melbourne would not only complete their collection, but also put them on track for a rare calendar-year sweep. With both players in great form, the stakes feel higher than usual.<h2>Why the Australian Open feels different</h2><h3>The biggest stage in tennis</h3>The Australian Open is the most attended tennis tournament in the world. Over three weeks, Melbourne Park welcomes fans from across Australia and beyond. In 2025, a record 1,218,831 people came to watch. But it’s not just about tennis; fans also come for live music, popular food spots, interactive experiences, and the famous evening matches played in warm summer air. The event feels more like a festival than a tournament. &nbsp;<h3>Roofs that beat the weather</h3>Anyone from Melbourne knows how unpredictable the weather can be. A sunny morning can easily turn into a storm by the afternoon. Melbourne Park is built for this, and its three main stadiums, Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena, and Margaret Court Arena, all have retractable roofs.&nbsp;&nbsp;With the help of these roofs, matches continue to play, no matter the conditions, allowing fans to keep watching even when it rains.&nbsp;<h3>Wheelchair tennis</h3>The Australian Open has long pushed the sport forward and is the first major to officially introduce wheelchair tennis in 2002 and the first to put wheelchair finals on the main show courts. That commitment grows again in 2025, with new international events in Brisbane, Sydney, and Adelaide contributing to the expanded 2026 Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series.<h3>Australian Open 2026: Prize money pool</h3>Players at this month's Australian Open will be competing for a record prize pool, with organisers on Jan 6 announcing a 16 per cent increase in the total purse to AUS $111.5 million (US $75 million). The winners of the men's and women's singles at the first Grand Slam of the year will each take home AUS $4.15 million (US $2.79 million), up 19 per cent from last year's AUS $3.5 million.&nbsp;The players beaten in the opening round will get AUS $150,000 (US $100,750), while even those knocked out in the first round of qualifying receive AUS $40,500 (US $27,200).

This season, the spotlight is on Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, both needs one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. Winning in Melbourne would not only complete their collection, but also put them on track for a rare calendar-year sweep.

As the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open (AO) has its own history, feel, and pulse. Held in the Southern Hemisphere, far from the other three majors, it naturally feels different. That distance, both literal and cultural, is exactly what makes it special. The Australian Open is where players get their first chance each year to make a statement. This season, the spotlight is on Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who both need one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. Winning in Melbourne would not only complete their collection, but also put them on track for a rare calendar-year sweep. With both players in great form, the stakes feel higher than usual. Why the Australian Open feels different The biggest stage in tennis The Australian Open is the most attended tennis tournament in the world. Over three weeks, Melbourne Park welcomes fans from across Australia and beyond. In 2025, a record 1,218,831 people came to watch. But it’s not just about tennis; fans also come for live music, popular food spots, interactive experiences, and the famous evening matches played in warm summer air. The event feels more like a festival than a tournament. Roofs that beat the weather Anyone from Melbourne knows how unpredictable the weather can be. A sunny morning can easily turn into a storm by the afternoon. Melbourne Park is built for this, and its three main stadiums, Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena, and Margaret Court Arena, all have retractable roofs. With the help of these roofs, matches continue to play, no matter the conditions, allowing fans to keep watching even when it rains. Wheelchair tennis The Australian Open has long pushed the sport forward and is the first major to officially introduce wheelchair tennis in 2002 and the first to put wheelchair finals on the main show courts. That commitment grows again in 2025, with new international events in Brisbane, Sydney, and Adelaide contributing to the expanded 2026 Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series. Australian Open 2026: Prize money pool Players at this month's Australian Open will be competing for a record prize pool, with organisers on Jan 6 announcing a 16 per cent increase in the total purse to AUS $111.5 million (US $75 million). The winners of the men's and women's singles at the first Grand Slam of the year will each take home AUS $4.15 million (US $2.79 million), up 19 per cent from last year's AUS $3.5 million. The players beaten in the opening round will get AUS $150,000 (US $100,750), while even those knocked out in the first round of qualifying receive AUS $40,500 (US $27,200).

This season, the spotlight is on Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, both needs one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. Winning in Melbourne would not only complete their collection, but also put them on track for a rare calendar-year sweep.

How is Australian Open different from other Grand Slams

World number one Aryna Sabalenka accused tennis authorities on Thursday (Jan 8) of failing to put player welfare first over what she called an "insane" tennis season. Speaking at the year-opening Brisbane International, the Belarusian said she was prepared to be fined for missing mandatory tournaments in the months ahead. The number of events in the tennis calendar has been a frequent complaint in recent months among the sport's biggest names.&nbsp;Men's world number one Carlos Alcaraz is another to have voiced concern about the amount of tennis he plays, although he has also signed up to feature in lucrative exhibition matches. He faces great rival Jannik Sinner in one such event on Saturday in South Korea, barely a week before the Australian Open.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sexual-assault-allegations-against-coach-fir-filed-in-faridabad-over-threats-to-national-shooter-1767814149847">Sexual assault allegations against coach: FIR filed in Faridabad over threats to national shooter</a>&nbsp;"The season is definitely insane, and that's not good for all of us, as you see so many players getting injured and also the balls are quite heavy, so it's a lot of struggle for all of us," four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka said. “The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I'm still doing that, I'm skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season.”&nbsp;She added, "So this season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season.&nbsp;"I think they just follow their interests," she said. "But they're not focusing on protecting all of us."&nbsp;There was no immediate response from the WTA Tour.&nbsp;However, in a statement to AFP in October, it said that "athlete welfare is always a top priority".&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.&nbsp;

The number of events in the tennis calendar has been a frequent complaint in recent months among the sport's biggest names, including Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka accused tennis authorities on Thursday (Jan 8) of failing to put player welfare first over what she called an "insane" tennis season. Speaking at the year-opening Brisbane International, the Belarusian said she was prepared to be fined for missing mandatory tournaments in the months ahead. The number of events in the tennis calendar has been a frequent complaint in recent months among the sport's biggest names. Men's world number one Carlos Alcaraz is another to have voiced concern about the amount of tennis he plays, although he has also signed up to feature in lucrative exhibition matches. He faces great rival Jannik Sinner in one such event on Saturday in South Korea, barely a week before the Australian Open. Also read | Sexual assault allegations against coach: FIR filed in Faridabad over threats to national shooter "The season is definitely insane, and that's not good for all of us, as you see so many players getting injured and also the balls are quite heavy, so it's a lot of struggle for all of us," four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka said. “The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I'm still doing that, I'm skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season.” She added, "So this season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season. "I think they just follow their interests," she said. "But they're not focusing on protecting all of us." There was no immediate response from the WTA Tour. However, in a statement to AFP in October, it said that "athlete welfare is always a top priority". Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The number of events in the tennis calendar has been a frequent complaint in recent months among the sport's biggest names, including Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz.

Sabalenka accuses tour chiefs of failing to put players’ welfare over ‘insane’ schedule

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Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova makes soldier dad's ‘dream come true’ at Australian Open

How is Australian Open different from other Grand Slams

'Insane' tennis schedule feels like 'lot of struggle', world no 1 Sabalenka says