"Mirra Andreeva & Diana Shnaider received prizes from Putin" - Ukrainian No. 4 calls for Russian players' neutrality to be 'tested' amid war

Ukrainian No. 4 Oleksandra Oliynykova said the “neutral” status of Russian players should be questioned, naming Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider. She pointed to the doubles pair receiving awards from Vladimir Putin as a reason to doubt their neutrality during the ongoing war.

Oliynykova, who broke the Top 100 barrier in the WTA this year, recently spoke about Russians on the tour. She believes many support the war even though they claim to be neutral.

"The neutrality should be tested. Many support the war. For some, not having a flag is enough, but it's not," the Ukrainian expressed, according to Saque y Red.

She further named Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, referring to their public felicitations from Russian President Vladimir Putin while questioning their neutral status. They had received the Order of Merit for their work in promoting physical culture and sports.

"Even without a flag, they can play without limits. Andreeva and Shnaider received prizes from Putin. We have to talk more about this. It's a big problem because they have global recognition while supporting the Russian government," she added.

Oliynykova was ranked World No. 285 when she played her first tournament of 2025. She performed consistently on the Challenger tour and won several events to break into the Top 100 after her recent run in South America.

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Apart from rising on the WTA Tour, Oleksandra Oliynykova is working towards creating awareness about Ukraine amid Russia war

Oleksandra Oliynykova explained that she created a website to raise awareness about the war in Ukraine, not just to collect donations but to help people understand what is really happening in her country.

She revealed that she initially tried to promote the website during matches by wearing a logo, but the WTA did not allow it after categorizing it as a charity initiative.

While she accepts donations, Oliynykova stressed that her main aim is to inform, which is why she later changed her Instagram username to support the project’s visibility, calling it a simple move that “helped the project.”

The Ukrainian also underlined the importance of staying informed, noting that the war has lasted for nearly four years and “fighting continues every day.” She warned about widespread misinformation and fake donation channels, urging people to be careful about the sources they trust.

Oliynykova added that supporting affected nations remains crucial, emphasizing her belief that Russia “has no intention of stopping” and that Ukrainians have “no other home” to return to.

The 24-year-old Ukrainian is now ranked World No. 96. Most recently, she won WTA 125 titles in Argentina and Chile to boost her rankings.