Post the news breaking about Putin invading Ukraine against the better judgement of almost every person on the earth, Ukraine now finds themselves under heavy fire as Russia plans to capture the entire country.
Leonid Stanislavskyi’s dreams came true as the 97 year old played his favourite player and current 21 time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal and four weeks later, the war escalated and commenced properly as the Russian Army invaded Ukraine.
“The war started on (February) 24th. From the 24th till now I have practically not gone out. I’ve stayed at home… I have supplies, the fridge is full. I’m sitting at home, not going anywhere,” he said.
“My daughter Tanya is in Poland, she wants to take me there. But I decided to stay here. I have bad hearing so I sleep at night and don’t hear anything. Last night there were bombings, in the morning there were air-raid sirens again.”
Stanislavskyi survived the Second World War, when he was an engineer who helped build Soviet warplanes to fight the Nazis.
“I never thought that I would have to live through another, more frightening war where people from both sides are dying — mothers are losing their children, wives are losing their sons and their husbands,” he added.
“What is this? What good is it? In the 21st century there can’t be war. The war needs to be stopped, an agreement has to be reached.”
“Tennis is my life, my destiny. I’ve played tennis at a serious level since I was 90, I’ve played abroad, I’ve played in World Championships, I’ve played in the European Championships.”
“I’m not afraid of anyone… I’m hoping that the war will end and I will be able to play tennis. If I could get (to Poland) I would play there. But I decided to stay at home and wait for the end of the war,” he said.