Alex Dolgopolov, a former Ukrainian tennis star, has spoken out about his desire to return to his country and join the military to help battle the Russian invasion.
Dolgopolov, 33, gave a tense interview to Sports Illustrated from the outskirts of Kyiv, where he was forced to stop speaking many times due to ‘disturbing noises,’ with the bombardments still going on.
He enlisted with the territorial defense because of the violence in his homeland, and he has stated that he may have to engage in firefights.
He said, “Maybe I’ll be killed. Maybe I have to kill. What can I say? This is war.
He acknowledged that he has been fortunate so far, saying, “I can’t tell you how it feels when you’re getting shot at.”
He posted a picture of his equipment and ammunition on social media earlier this month with the caption, ‘Used to be rackets and strings, now this.’
Regardless of Russia’s attempts to advance into Kyiv, the former athlete stated he would not hesitate to take to the front lines despite his huge income and reputation.
He said, “It was a hard decision as in ‘dangerous’ but not hard as in ‘difficult’.
“We traded a racket and strings for a gun and bullets,” he said.
“I may not be perfectly ready, but I’m comfortable with weapons now,” the 33-year-old said of his weapon mastery after training with a former military marksman.
Dolgopolov notably defeated Rafa Nadal in 2014, has won titles in both singles and doubles, and has a career-high of No. 13 in the world. He had to resign due to a recurring wrist ailment and pursued a business career.
