Dolgopolov: “My life as a tennis professional was a completely different existence”
Former tennis professional Alexandr Dolgopolov is still fighting for his Ukrainian homeland on the front line against the Russian invaders. In an interview with Mike Dickens in the Daily Mail, the 35-year-old gave deep insights into his experiences over the past few months.
by Dietmar Kaspar
last edit: Dec 08, 2023, 01:40 pm
Due to his unorthodox playing style, the former tennis professional Alexandr Dolgopolov could be classified as one of the artists on the tour. With his clever angle shots and slice variations, the former world No. 13 unnerved numerous colleagues, including Rafael Nadal, whom he defeated at the tournament in Queens in 2015. In April 2021, the native of Kiev announced the end of his career and, like his colleague Sergei Stachowski, after the Russian invasion, unconditionally put himself into the service of his fatherland in order to defend it on the front line.
Drone as a current work tool
During his active time on the court it was the tennis racket that he skilfully handled, but currently handling an aircraft is his everyday work. On the front lines, the former Australian Open quarter-finalist has become an experienced drone operator, whose job is to sit just behind the forward positions and help direct attacks: “You see the video and you can work more precisely. When our boys put pressure on us, we control it from the air. You will learn what weapons the enemy has, what they sound like and where he can see them. When they drive, they need to know where the enemy can have visual contact with their car, which is dangerous.”
Dolgopolov also reported that he learned a lot about the trajectories of 120-millimeter bullets during his numerous hours in the trenches in the Zaporizhzhia region. He speaks matter-of-factly about their departures and arrivals, as if he were describing the events at a civilian airport: “You sit there and after just a few laps you start to understand the order. You can really feel them going through your body when they land. After exiting, they know that the grenade will fly towards them for about 20 seconds. So you hear the exit and wait for it to arrive. There are interesting thoughts sitting in your head and there’s nothing you can do about them.”
Horror at the Russian invitation tournament
The three-time ATP title holder can only follow the events on the tour from the sidelines: “I see some results because I'm on Twitter (X), but I don't know the last time I saw a game live. It seems to be a different life." He was shocked when he heard about the participation of players like Roberto Bautista Agut and Adrian Mannarino in the invitation tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia: "It's a shame, especially from the European ones players. I don't know what they think, they only get the black money. The Russians threaten Europe daily with nuclear attacks and energy blackmail, and they still choose to go there and make some money.”
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Dolgopolov sees his own future as more uncertain than ever: “All projects for the future must be put on hold. I plan one day, two days, three days, whatever. You can’t do anything else when you’re in a war without knowing how long you’ll be involved in it.”