Alexandr Dolgopolov
The Ukrainian tennis star has decided to return from Turkey to defend his country against the Russian invasion
Alexandr Dolgopolov has become the latest Ukrainian athlete to pick up weapons to defend his country against Russia. The tennis star retired from professional tennis in 2018. In 2012, he reached a career-best ranking of World No. 13.
He was training in Turkey while his country is under attack but now the Ukrainian has decided to return and defend his homeland. Dolgopolov shared a picture on Twitter of a rifle, a helmet, a bullet-proof vest and some ammunition – apparently his military gear as he prepares to defend Ukraine.
Dolgopolov had left Ukraine just before Russia’s military operation began and he left behind his mother and sister in Turkey to come back and join the Ukrainian forces. In a post on Instagram, Dolgopolov wrote, “This is my home and we will defend it with all the people that stayed. Big thanks and respect to all famous people on the grounds. I am proud of how United the country is under such pressure of a crazy dictator.”
He further wrote, “I’m not Rambo in a week, but quite comfortable with the weapons and can hit three out of five times, from 25 metres in a calm, practiced environment. Truth is behind us and this is our land. I will stay in Kyiv until our victory and after.”
Alexandr Dolgopolov is the second famous Ukrainian tennis player after Sergiy Stakhovsky, to join the armed forces. Stakhovsky is presently defending his country against Russian invasion. His images in military gear are already viral.
The former Ukrainian tennis player retired from professional tennis to join the Ukrainian reserve forces. He then left behind his wife and children in Hungary to join his nation’s army in Ukraine for their fight against Russia. Stakhovsky has been very vocal about the Russia-Ukraine crisis on social media. He has been sharing regular updates of the ongoing crisis on Twitter.
Dolgopolov has thanked Stakhovsky on Instagram for showing the way. In his post, Dolgopolov thanked “all the famous people who have decided to stay on the battlefield”. The reference to his colleague Stakhovsky who has now been working in the Ukrainian capital for about two weeks is clear. In a recent post on Instagram, Stakhovsky is seen posing with the captain of the Ukrainian National Tennis team, Andrei Medvedev whom he defined as “world tennis legend and patriot of Ukraine.”
Sergi Stakhovsky rose to fame after defeating Roger Federer in Wimbledon 2013. The Ukrainian has a career-best ranking of 31 in ATP Men’s singles. Stakhovsky was born in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine which is one of the primary targets of the Russian military. The 36-year old decided to retire from professional tennis for a “greater cause”.
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