Oliynikova was appointed vice president of the Zaporizhzhia Tennis Federation

Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynikova (WTA No. 41) has been appointed vice president of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Tennis Federation.

In this position, which Oleksandra will hold on a volunteer basis without pay, she will be responsible for several key areas of the Federation’s work: developing tennis for military personnel and veterans; supporting and ensuring the sustainability of children’s and youth tennis in the Zaporizhzhia region amid the war; and developing and implementing modern ethical standards for Ukrainian tennis.

“Zaporizhzhia is Ukraine’s southern outpost. The city stands strong and continues to live and thrive despite daily shelling. But there are children in this city—both locals and internally displaced persons—who, despite the war, should have opportunities for athletic development.

Coming here to lead a master class or even sending a few children to a good tennis camp for a week or two is both cool and beneficial. But it also takes painstaking, daily, often unnoticed, and completely off-the-radar work to ensure that children—even in a city near the front lines—have the opportunity to play tennis regularly with qualified coaches. This means coaching time, accessible courts, rackets, and balls—simple things without which tennis simply wouldn’t exist.

There are many active-duty military personnel and veterans in Zaporizhzhia for whom tennis can be an important part of their rest, recovery, and rehabilitation. We will pay special attention to this area. It is in Zaporizhzhia where the need to update the ethical standards of Ukrainian tennis is felt most acutely. Our players, especially those who represent Ukraine internationally, must be—albeit a small but unified and coordinated part—of Ukraine’s fight to hold the aggressor country accountable at all levels, including in sports and at the Olympic Games.

Furthermore, an integral part of the Zaporizhzhia region includes Melitopol, Berdiansk, Primorsk, Kyrylivka, and other Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages that are currently under temporary occupation. “Once our territories are liberated, I want to be part of the process of restoring sports infrastructure and bringing Ukrainian tennis back to the Ukrainian Azov region,” Oleksandra Oliinykova said in a statement regarding her appointment.