sports
January 20, 2026
Madison Keys’ Australian Open title defence nearly falters as Ukrainian steals the show
Oleksandra Oliynykova made life hard for the American with a vicious concoction of drop shots, slices and moonballs up to the roof
TL;DR
- Madison Keys won her first-round Australian Open match against Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-1.
- Oliynykova utilized a unique playing style featuring drop shots, slices, and high moonballs, which disrupted Keys' rhythm.
- Keys overcame a 4-0 deficit in the first set tie-break to secure the opening set and dominate the second.
- This was Oliynykova's Grand Slam main draw debut, marking a significant career milestone.
- Oliynykova and her family were political refugees from Ukraine to Croatia in 2011.
- Her father is a volunteer for the Ukraine army, and she runs a website to fundraise for his drone unit.
- Oliynykova has continued to live in Kyiv despite the ongoing Russian invasion.
- She expressed a desire to speak about the war outside of tournament press conferences.
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