97-year-old amateur Leonid Stanislavski endures the worst nightmare in Kharkov as Russian troops bomb a Ukrainian city.
“I follow 24/7. This is currently a priority in the world. It’s really sad to see all the news delivered every day. I have really good friends from Ukraine. I also have friends from Belarus. It’s very, very hard to see, and of course it’s tougher and better to play for them. I’m trying to compete at home thinking about my family. I hope we can find peace soon. That is our priority now .. Tennis is not a priority compared to war. Paula Badosa
97-year-old amateur Leonid Stanislavski endures the worst nightmare in Kharkov as Russian troops bomb a Ukrainian city.
Stanislavski, who holds the Guinness World Records as the oldest tennis player in the world, is playing Rafael Nadal and hopes to hit some balls if Roger Federer can survive the conflict.
“I hope to live to reach 100. I have to overcome this horrific situation,” he told Reuters. “The war started on the 24th [February]..
“From the 24th until now, I haven’t been out very much. I was at home … I have supplies, the fridge is full. I sit at home and go nowhere.
“My daughter Tanya is in Poland. She wants to take me to Poland. But I decided to stay here. I have poor hearing so I sleep at night and can’t hear anything. Hmm.
“There was a bombing last night and the air raid siren sounded again in the morning.”
Stanislavski survived World War II when he was an engineer who helped build a Soviet fighter to fight the Nazis.
“I never thought I had to survive another more horrifying war: a mother lost a child, a wife lost a son and a husband, and people on both sides died,” he added.
“What is this? What is good? There can be no war in the 21st century. We need to stop the war and reach an agreement.”
For Stanislavski, the end of the conflict is also an opportunity to resume playing tennis and could even compete in the next Senior World Championship in Florida next month.
When he was first introduced to sports, he was 30 years old and trained three times a week.
“Tennis is my life, my destiny,” he said. “I’ve been playing tennis at a serious level since I was 90. I played abroad, played in world championships, played in European championships.
“I’m not afraid of anyone … I hope the war is over and I can play tennis. If I can get it [to Poland] I will play there. But I decided to stay home and wait for the end of the war, “he said.
Meanwhile, New World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev has removed the Russian flag from his Instagram profile after Russian and Belarusian tennis stars have been sanctioned by the ITF.
The flag was previously displayed next to his description as a “professional tennis player”, but has disappeared from his account and is followed by just over 950,000 people.
The 26-year-old Medvedev has recently won the number one spot in the world and has become the new name for the first time in 18 years, with acclaim outside of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
Like his compatriots, Medvedev is forced to compete without the name and flag of his country after the ITF sanctions both Russia and its ally Belarus earlier this week in light of the conflict in Ukraine. Will be.
The Russian and Belarusian tennis federations have been suspended “until further notice”, but teams from both countries will compete in this year’s Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup tournaments, where the Russian Tennis Federation governs both champions. do not do.
On the official ATP and WTA website, all flags have been removed from male and female players in Russia and Belarus in accordance with the joint statement of the WTA, ATP and ITF issued on March 1.
As a result, all Russian and Belarus players will continue to be allowed to compete, but “neutral” without national mention or flag display while future tournaments scheduled to be held in Russia and Belarus are suspended. It is treated as.
Elina Svitolina is uniting the tennis world against Putin and Russia’s invasion of her country
© Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
As such, the ripples of war in Ukraine are considered by many to be the fifth major, a heavy international field that will begin next week and become the first major global sporting event since the invasion began. You can feel it at the proud Indian Wells. ..
With four players from Ukraine, 12 from Russia and four from Belarus, they will be out in the desert in the next two weeks, including Medvedev.
At the BNP Paribas Open, if a Russian or Belarusian player is announced to start the match next week, the country’s name will not be listed and no flag will be displayed.
The stadium outside the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is traditionally lined with flags of all nations, but this year the flags of Russia and Belarus will not be raised.
Tennis players continue to oppose the attack on Ukraine, with Elina Svitolina, Diana Yastremska and many others provocative invasion causing millions of Ukrainians to flee the country as refugees. Is blaming President Putin and Russia for.
“For me, I’m not playing just for myself, I’m playing for my country, because I’m playing with the help of the Ukrainian army and those in need. This victory is very special. I am playing for all Ukrainians, “Svitolina said, pledged to the Ukrainian army with the prizes won in Mexico and her upcoming events, including the BNP Paribas Open. did.
“What we are experiencing is horrifying for all Ukrainians, so I think it is my mission to unite our tennis community, cooperate with Ukraine and support Ukraine …. That’s why. I play for my country and do my best to invite people to support Ukraine using my platform. “
Sergiy Stakhovsky, a Ukrainian player ranked 238th in the world who competed here in 2018, joined the resistance of his home country, although he was not lined up to play in the desert this year.
In a moving interview with the BBC, Stakhovsky said he had told young children to play in a tennis tournament.
“My kids don’t know I’m here, they don’t understand the war,” Stakhovsky said. “I know how to use a gun. I hope I don’t need to use a gun, but if I need to, I do.”
Many countries in Eastern Europe are feeling the consequences of Russia’s invasion, and players of those who still live in the family pay attention to focusing on tennis and staying in touch with news and communications from their hometown. is needed.
Former Indian Wells champion and current tennis channel broadcaster Lindsay Davenport has put himself in the position of players such as Belarusian Svitolina, Medvedev, Anastasia Pavlyunchekova and Victoria Azarenka.
“I think it will be very moving in the desert,” Davenport said. “I think it would be really hard for many players to compete, rather than being emotionally empty. You know they aren’t sleeping at night.
“That is, I hope it doesn’t last that long, as everyone in the world does. Apparently, what’s happening, and some of these people What you have to experience seems immeasurable. “
Spain’s Paula Badosa, the female defending BNP Paribas Open Champion, reflected Davenport’s sentiment and said the tennis community was like her own family, so others suffering from these realities. It really resonates when I see it.
After arriving in the desert on Friday to prepare for the event, Badosa said, “I follow it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it’s now a global priority. All the news comes out every day. It’s really sad to see that. ” .. “I have really good friends from Ukraine. It’s very difficult to see because I have friends from Belarus. Of course, it’s even tougher for them and I can’t even try to play well.
“I’m trying to compete at home thinking about my family. We hope we can find peace soon, that’s our priority now. Tennis is not a priority compared to war. “
Paula Badosa is the Indian Wells defending champion who defeated Victoria Azarenka in last year’s final.
© Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
Ukrainians in the field of Indian Wells
- Women’s Singles: Elina Svitolina (15), Angelina Karinina (49), Malta Kochuk (54)
- Women’s Doubles: Nadiia Kichenok
Russian
- Women’s Singles: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (14), Veronica Kudermatva (24), Daria Kasatkina (26), Ludmila Samsononowa (32), Ekaterina Alexandrova (50), Varvara Gracheva (71)
- Women’s Doubles: Natera Zaramize, Bella Zubona Leba
- Men’s Singles: Daniil Medvedev (1), Andrey Rublev (6), Athrun Zalazov (22), Karen Khachanov (25)
Belarusians
- Women’s Singles: Aryna Sabalenka (3), Victoria Azarenka (16), Aliaksandra Sasnovich (60)
- Men’s Singles: Ilya Ivashka (43)
