- February 7, 2026
- 7:36 pm
- World News
Ukrainian tennis player Alexandra Oleynikova refused on February 3, 2026 at the WTA 250 tournament in Cluj-Napoca to participate in the traditional joint pre-match photo and refused to shake hands with her Hungarian opponent Anna Bondar.
This decision was announced before entering the court. Calmly. Officially. With a detailed explanation of the reasons.
And it was these reasons that turned the sports episode into a political and moral event.
Why she refused
Oleynikova linked her decision to Bondar’s participation in December 2022 in the exhibition tournament “Trophies of the Northern Palmyra,” which took place in Russia.
The Ukrainian calls that tournament a demonstrative disregard for sanctions, and its funding — connected with Gazprom.
Her wording was extremely harsh:
“These are the very funds for which Russia kills and maims Ukrainian women and children. These are the same funds that destroy our fathers, brothers, and men who defend their families, cities, and villages on their land.”
The time when the decision was made
Oleynikova separately emphasized: Bondar’s trip took place when the world had already seen the consequences of the actions of the Russian army.
Bucha.
Irpin.
Izyum.
After the liberation of Kherson, mass graves, torture chambers, and documented torture and sexual violence were discovered.
In her logic, it is a conscious choice made after everything became obvious.
The most discussed quote
It was this that caused international resonance.
“To go to a tournament in Russia in December 2022 and accept payment from Gazprom funds — from a moral point of view, it’s the same as going to play a tournament in Nazi Germany in 1941 and receiving rewards with jewelry from Jews exterminated in the death camps of Auschwitz and Treblinka. The same evil — only 80 years later.”
This is not a personal war, says Oleynikova
The Ukrainian athlete specifically stated: it is not about personal animosity.
“This is a matter of humanity, humaneness, and basic human values. I cannot ignore this. The global tennis community should not ignore this. Fans should not forget about this.”
“Therefore, I do not consider it possible for myself to take a photo or shake hands with a person who received money from sources directly connected with the war against my country.”
The reaction of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry — and where it led the conflict
The story quickly went beyond the court.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto publicly criticized the Ukrainian’s act and called it “outrageous and scandalous”. He also disliked the historical parallels drawn.
According to him, mixing sports and geopolitics is unacceptable, and the responsibility for political decisions should not be transferred to athletes.
Thus, the dispute over the handshake turned into a diplomatic episode.
The political background that cannot be ignored
The story with the match flared up not in a vacuum. Relations between Kyiv and Budapest have been tense for a long time, and the Hungarian leadership regularly engages in sharp disputes with Ukraine in the EU arena.
On February 7, Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Ukraine is “an enemy of Hungary” because it insists on a pan-European refusal of Russian energy resources.
According to him, stopping supplies will lead to “an increase in Hungarian families’ utility costs by at least 8% per year”.
In such an atmosphere, any episode — even a tennis one — inevitably becomes part of a larger political picture.
Is a way back possible
Yes — and this is an important part of the Ukrainian’s position.
“I admit that Anna could have made a mistake in making this decision — although it was an extremely serious mistake. I am ready to shake her hand in the future if she publicly acknowledges this mistake, apologizes to the Ukrainian people, and clearly and directly condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine, the aggressor state Russia, and the war criminal Putin.”
Relations with the WTA
Oleynikova emphasizes that she remains part of the system and does not intend to act contrary to the organization.
“I am part of the WTA and respect our organization. That is why I am ready to work together with the WTA — openly, constructively, and responsibly — to protect tennis as a sport from cases that compromise its values with their inhumane and anti-human nature.”
“Tennis cannot exist outside the bounds of humanity, and we must respond when these boundaries are consciously violated.”
Why this is understood or not understood in Israel
For a society where historical memory is part of everyday life, the moment is very familiar when a person says: there is a limit beyond which a polite gesture turns into a lie.
This is the dimension seen by NAnovosti — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.
Not a scandal.
Not a diplomatic skirmish.
But an attempt to maintain moral clarity.
And here arises another, uncomfortable but honest moment.
Many Israelis continue to travel to Russia — for family matters, business, cultural projects, tours, competitions. For some, it is a personal necessity, for others a habit, for others an attempt to stay out of politics.
But the world is changing. And Ukrainian sensitivity to such trips is also changing.
Oleynikova’s story shows: one day any public person may find themselves in a situation where the Ukrainian side will say — for us, this looks like normalization.
And then a handshake, a photo, a joint stage, or a tournament will suddenly become impossible.
Not out of hatred.
But out of pain and memory.
What this story shows
The Ukrainian did not demand sanctions.
Did not demand exclusions from the tournament.
Did not organize a boycott.
She refused to participate in a symbolic act of normalization.
And that is why for many, her act seems right.
As long as the war continues, the question will return again and again:
can one smile as if nothing is happening.
Alexandra Oleynikova gave her answer.
Who is Alexandra Oleynikova
Alexandra Denisovna Oleynikova (born January 3, 2001, in Kyiv) is a Ukrainian professional tennis player, winner of three WTA tournaments in singles.
Born in Kyiv, she also spent her childhood in Odessa. When Alexandra was ten years old, the family moved to Croatia.
She started playing tennis at the age of five. Prefers clay courts.
Oleynikova competes in the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour. At this level, she has won four singles titles and two doubles titles. She won her first title in 2018 and reached several finals.
In 2021, the athlete decided to regain Ukrainian citizenship.
In 2022, she won her second ITF title in her professional career.
