American Katie Volynets derives strength from family in Ukraine

Born in the United States after her parents moved there and having taken up the sport as a five-year-old, Volynets scored a 6-4 2-6 6-2 win to become the first American qualifier to reach the third round in women's singles at Melbourne Park since 1993.

Volynets, who frequently visited Ukraine as a child to meet her cousins and grandparents and was most recently in the war-torn nation after Wimbledon 2021, said she still enjoyed special support there.

"I have a lot of cousins in Ukraine and actually they watch every match. They usually write me and I communicate with them. It's really special," Volynets said.

Volynets' family is mostly in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk where Russian missiles have rained down since Moscow's invasion, which the latter terms a "special military operation".

"It's really a difficult time. Before, everyone used to be able to move about the country however they want to and go on with their days and now it's just day-to-day," Volynets said.

"I really feel for them. To have their support through all of this is incredible. Whenever I come out on the courts, I hope I'm supporting them as well because they're watching and I stay strong for them."

Volynets said, however, that she would put politics aside when it comes to her relationships with fellow professionals.

"Having said that, I always worry about my family, of course, in Ukraine. But I don't hold anything against the players and I just try to focus on tennis," she said.