The former tennis professional Alexandr Dolgopolov moved into the war in Ukraine to defend his homeland against Russia. The 33-year-old has now granted depth insights.
“This is my home. Someone has to defend it. I’m guilty of being here! I could not watch longer,” explained the former number 13 of the world ranking in the interview with the l’Equipe: “I have in Turkey Shooting a week ago, because I had never touched a weapon before. A former soldier brought it to me. I can now deal with a pistol and shoot with good precision on a destination. “
He is “able to meet a person safely and I have more self-confidence,” said Dolgopolov in conversation with Eurosport. “I know friends whose entire family was extinguished! They kill our children, they kill our women. So I’m ready to shoot on a Russian. Of course I would not do that. But this is war. If you He does not shoot him, he will kill you, “he said.
Dolgopolov already experienced a great torque. His girlfriend and the shared daughter were shot in the car when she tried to escape from Kyiv. “Just in front of them a car was destroyed. Thank God they still succeeded in leaving the land,” he reported. His return with old acquaintances in the Ukrainian capital was also similar to a Hollywood strip.
“We bought thermal monoculars so that the soldiers can also see something at night. We also bought a bulletproof west, equipment and so on. But in the end I went alone,” said Dolgopolov and added everywhere to armed people from the border Keep everyone and browse all cars. “
Dolgopolov: “But I have a bulletproof vest”
Then he went on by train. In Kyiv he had to call friends, “so that they equipped me with weapons equipped from the train station. If you are here on the streets outside, you can be considered an enemy from Ukrainians. That makes you, so that enemy groups do not run quietly through the city can. On the way there we saw some missiles flying passed. “
Currently, Dolgopolov, who ended his active career in the spring, riskante tours, “to supply material into other cities. That’s very risky, you can get into a fight. But I have a bulletproof vest.”
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He currently does not think about a return to the course. Russian players who have been allowed to compete under a neutral flag so far should be excluded according to him. “The players say, ‘I am for world peace.’ That’s shit! Come into Ukraine and tell me that’s face. To say that the Russian players have nothing to do with all that is not true. “
