Tennis player Schneider responded to criticism of Ukrainian athlete Oleinikova

Russian tennis player Diana Schneider responded on January 21 to criticism from Ukrainian athlete Alexandra Oleinikova regarding the participation of players in the exhibition tournament "Trophies of Northern Palmyra" in St. Petersburg at the end of 2025.

According to the athlete, she was on tour all year and rarely saw her family. These factors, as Schneider emphasized, influenced her decision.

"My only motivation to play in St. Petersburg was to visit my family and show great tennis to the fans who supported me and supported us all year," Schneider said, as quoted by the Championship.

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It's a good test of strength for her before the start of the 2026 Australian Open.

On January 19, Schneider made a successful start at the Australian Open, defeating the Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova in the first round match of the tournament, which takes place in Melbourne. The meeting ended with a score 2:6, 6:3, 6:3.

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