The tennis player who knocked down Federer at Wimbledon goes to war: "If I have to use a weapon, I will use it"

• War in Ukraine Adidas breaks with the Russian Football Federation over the invasion of Ukraine

Sergiy Stakhovsky

beat

in the second round of Wimbledon 2013. The most important victory of his career, but not the biggest battle the Ukrainian tennis player will have to fight.

He retired after the last Australian Open, but now he will fight for his country: "I know how to use a weapon, if I have to use it, I will."

At 36 years old, Stakhovsky is another of the Ukrainian voices in the world of tennis who has raised his voice in recent days.

While

, one of the best in the world, withdrew from Monterrey for having to play against a Russian tennis player, Stakhovsky has gone a step further.

He has enlisted in the army and not at a cheap price.

He has left his wife,

, and his children at their home in Hungary.

"It's been a horrible decision," he told the BBC.

"I still don't even know how I did it. It's been very difficult for my wife. My children don't even know I'm here. They don't understand what this war thing is. They're too young to know."

From the words of the Ukrainian, who

, it appears that his wife has told the children that their father has gone to play a tennis tournament.

But the racket is far from the hands of Stakhovsky, who will now be holding a rifle.

," explained the only tennis player capable of eliminating Federer before the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.

"It will be impossible to resist much"

"It makes a big difference to our military that they feel like they're not alone, at least from a media perspective, but we also have to be realistic.

"the Ukrainian wondered.

"No one thought this could happen and it has. None of the leaders of Europe or the world are ready to help, to fight in Ukraine for a better Europe for the future. If Ukraine falls, we will resist. But, to be honest,

."

Gone is that second round of Wimbledon in which Stakhovsky, with his serve and his volley, surprised the All England Club champion.

"It was something magical," the Ukrainian told the ATP.

That victory is far away, now there is only war.

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