Ukranian tennis star turned wartime soldier opens up on his new life emotional interview
He was once the world No 13 tennis player, but Alexandr Dolgopolov now faces a battle that means so much more.
After signing up to fight in the Ukrainian army following Russia’s invasion of his nation in 2022, the one-time Australian Open quarter-finalist is one of thousands of Ukrainians fighting on the frontline.
In an emotional interview with the BBC, Dolgopolov reflected on a life that has changed beyond recognition and towards an unknown future for Ukraine.
“It has been tough on the battlefield in the last year,” said Dolgopolov, who retired from tennis in 2018.
“When they are firing and getting really close, you know they know approximately where you are.
“When the round exits, you hear that and then you have the few seconds where it is flying – it is like loud whistles coming in – and then you feel the impact.
“You hope the impact is not exactly on the top of the trench.
“If it is one or more metres from you, you should be fine because you’re half or one metre under the ground. If it doesn’t hit the ceiling, you should be OK, but you don’t know that.
“The worst day was when mortars landed reasonably close to us.
“Usually it is random fire and if they see you, they shoot two, three, five times and then forget about it unless they see what they’re aiming for. You try to hide and protect yourself.
“This time it got really intense and we got maybe 20 rounds fired at us. They were all close.
“We haven’t had too many close people dead but many have been injured,” he said.
“We hear a lot about other guys from other units, and friends of friends, dying. The longer it goes, the more people are dead.”
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Dolgopolov has been hailed as a hero by Ukrainians for his efforts fighting the war, as he used his profile to plead with world leaders to offer Ukraine more military support.
“We need armoury and instruments to win this war. At the moment, mathematically we’re not in a good position,” he added.
“On the battlefield, Russia have advantages in most things – more people, more armoury and more artillery rounds.
“Is the world doing enough? I don’t think so. I think it is obvious by now.
“We are not getting enough, not fast enough, not enough quantity, it is a big war and we need much more.
“I think the West needs to wake up and understand it’s not just Ukraine’s problem. Actions have to be taken.”
The war in Ukraine presented a big challenge for tennis after Wimbledon chiefs opted to ban Russian players from the 2022 Championhips, but that decision backfired as ATP and WTA Tour chiefs came out in support of the banned players.
Now tennis chiefs are facing a new headache, as Russian player hoping to play in next summer’s Paris Olympics will need to ask for a special excemption to play as they have not qualified by playing for their national team over the last couple of years due to a ban on Russia being banned from the Davis Cup and Billie Jeane King Cup.