Former Ukrainian tennis player Alex Dolgopolov has opened up on his brave decision to return to his homeland and enlist with their military to help fight off the Russian invasion, admitting that he may have to kill.
Vladimir Putin’s forces began their bloody incursion in the sovereign country exactly a month ago, with tens of thousands – including civilians – feared to have been killed. A host of famous sportspeople have since taken up arms.
Dolgopolov, 33, conducted a chilling interview with Sports Illustrated from the outskirts of the capital city of Kyiv, and was forced to stop speaking several times because of ‘disconcerting noises’, with the bombardments continuing.
He famously defeated Rafa Nadal in 2014, has won titles in both singles and doubles and reached a high of No 13 in the world during his time in tennis. However, a persistent wrist injury forced him to retire, and he took up a career in business.
But the violence inside his homeland then convinced him to enlist with the territorial defence, and he has insisted that he may have to engage in firefights.
‘Maybe I’ll be killed,’ he said. ‘Maybe I have to kill. What can I say? This is war.’
Dolgopolov admitted that, so far, he has been lucky, adding: ‘I can’t tell you how it feels when you’re getting shot at.’
Earlier this month, he shared a photo of his equipment and weaponry on social media alongside the caption, ‘Used to be rackets and strings, now this.’
Former Ukrainian tennis player Alex Dolgopolov has opened up on defending his homeland
As Russia continue to attempt to advance on Kyiv, the former athlete explained that he was ‘carrying protection’ in the height of danger.
However, despite the turmoil, he said that he did not consider using his impressive earnings and reputation to shirk away from taking to the frontlines.
‘It was a hard decision as in “dangerous”, but not hard as in “difficult”,’ he said.
He then added: ‘We traded a racket and strings for a gun and bullets.’
Dolgopolov admitted that he may have to kill to protect his country from the Russian invasion
Oleksandr Usyk signed up to the Kyiv Territorial Defence and was seen holding a machine gun
Dolgopolov is adept with weapons after training with a former military marksman, saying: ‘I may not be perfectly ready, but I’m comfortable with weapons now.’
A number of other famous Ukrainians have also picked up weaponry, with the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko prominent across social media over the course of the war.
Boxers Oleksandr Usyk, Vasyl Lomachenko and Wladimir Klitschko all enlisted, while Sergiy Stakhovsky – the former tennis player – is now in combat fatigues, too.
Andrei Medvedev, best known for breaking into the tennis top five, has also decided to defend Ukraine against the invaders aged 47.
Fire and smoke are seen rising from what appears to be a Russian Alligator-class landing ship
Dolgopolov has also called for Russian players – including the current world No 2 Daniil Medvedev – to condemn their country’s actions publicly in Ukraine in order to keep playing professional tennis.
He said: ‘I know that Russian players have said “No war,” but no war is not really a strong enough position for me at the moment. I think it’s a weak position. It’s not condemning their country’s actions.
‘If the tennis world wants to keep them playing, they should really publicly condemn their government of doing the wrong actions.
‘That is the only way the Russian people can stop [Vladimir] Putin. And from what we’re seeing now, he has an unbelievably high acceptance level. It’s up to like 70 per cent. They actually think the war in Ukraine is nothing.
‘This is a joke. Their brains are washed with propaganda. If it’s in sports, if it’s with their rich people, with oligarchs, every Russian must feel that something is wrong.’
Meanwhile, Ukraine claims to have destroyed a huge Russian ship just days after state media filmed it unloading reinforcements at a captured port.
The Ukrainian navy said this morning that it had scored a direct hit on the Orsk, a 370ft Russian Alligator-class tank carrier, as it was sitting in the port of Berdyansk.
Multiple photos and videos showed flames and smoke towering above the water.
The development comes after NATO said Russia has lost up to 40,000 men either killed, wounded or captured in just over a month of fighting.
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