About 1 1/2 months after the final match of Sergiy Stakhovsky’s skilled tennis profession, the 36-year-old Ukrainian left his spouse and three younger kids in Hungary and went again to his birthplace to assist nevertheless he might throughout Russia’s invasion.
“I don’t have the words to describe it. I would never imagine in my life that it would come to this — that I would be in my home city … with a gun in my hands,” Stakhovsky mentioned Saturday, rubbing his left cheek together with his palm throughout a video interview with The Associated Press from what he mentioned was a residential constructing in Kyiv, Ukraine’s beleaguered capital.
“Lots of people are saying that they are waking up and hoping … it was only a unhealthy dream. But, you understand, on Day 16, (that) does not work anymore,” he mentioned.
“First couple of days, (it’s) surreal. You don’t believe that it’s actually happening. And the next thing you know, you get used to it, and you’re just trying to find a way of helping your country to actually survive.”
Sergiy Stakhovsky (@stako_tennis), who’s gained greater than $5.5 million as a professional tennis participant, has given all of it up, left his household overseas & traveled to #Ukraine to struggle #putin‘s #Russia,
2 months in the past, he was on the Australian Open (left) — now in #Kyiv (proper). pic.twitter.com/tTNnlQWyRW
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) March 4, 2022
At age 12, eyeing a life in tennis, Stakhovsky started splitting his time between Ukraine and the Czech Republic to enhance his recreation. He turned professional in 2003, gained 4 titles in singles and one other 4 in doubles, and earned greater than $5 million in prize cash.
Highlights included rising to a greatest ATP rating of No. 31 in 2010, reaching the third spherical of Grand Slam tournaments six occasions, and pulling off one of many greatest upsets within the sport’s historical past when he ended Roger Federer’s document streak of 36 consecutive main quarterfinal appearances by beating him 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) within the second spherical at Wimbledon in 2013.
In January, Stakhovsky walked away from the game after dropping to American JJ Wolf within the first spherical of qualifying for the Australian Open.
Retirement didn’t go as deliberate. On Feb. 24, Russia started attacking Ukraine. In the wee hours of Feb. 28, Stakhovsky arrived in Kyiv.
“You’re one second protected. The subsequent second, one thing flies in, and nobody is protected,” he mentioned.
My guarding angel .. pic.twitter.com/2m56KvgSRT
— Sergiy Stakhovsky (@Stako_tennis) March 6, 2022
He mentioned he is acquired a whole bunch of messages of assist from members of the tennis world — gamers, coaches, officers — and talked about a number of by title: Richard Gasquet, Lucas Pouille, Aljaz Bedene and Novak Djokovic, the 20-time Grand Slam champion whose textual content messages Stakhovsky shared through social media.
Working with what he described as a department of the Ukraine armed forces that may solely be used inside the town premises — he mentioned it was created “a few years again to truly assist the infrastructure of the town in case of warfare, which no person really believed in, however sadly did occur” — Stakhovsky mentioned his days are divided into two-hour shifts adopted by six hours off.
That “off” time, he mentioned, is usually spent with what he known as humanitarian efforts.
“Just trying to do whatever we can on a 24/7 basis,” Stakhovsky mentioned, “because otherwise you’re going to go crazy.” He mentioned he nonetheless has household who dwell, and have remained, in Kyiv, together with his grandmother, father and a brother.
As for a way lengthy he’ll keep, Stakhovsky isnt positive.
“I hope not long,” he mentioned. “I hope this will get resolved rather fast and short.” Later this month, his daughter turns 8 and one son turns 4; the opposite son is 6 1/2.
He didn’t inform them the place he was going — and why — earlier than he left.
“They’re pretty younger and I simply do not consider they’d perceive the that means of warfare. And I do not consider they’d perceive any of it. My spouse knew … however she by no means requested the direct query, and I by no means instructed her straight. So when … I instructed her ‘I’m leaving,’ she began crying. So there was probably not a dialog,” he recounted.
He mentioned speaking with the kids now isn’t any simpler.
“It’s powerful to name with youngsters, as a result of each time they ask, ‘When are you coming?’ or ‘What are you doing?’ I’m simply, ‘I do not know, actually.’
“For me, it isn’t a proper determination to be right here and it was not the suitable determination to remain residence. Any of this isn’t proper,” Stakhovsky mentioned.
“But I am here because I believe that the future of my country — and the future of my kids, and the future of Europe as we know it — is under great danger. And if there’s anything I can do to change the outcome, I will try to do it.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
