"I'm not saying I was happy about it, but it had to be done."
Former Ukrainian tennis player Serhiy Stakhovsky, who left to join his country's reserve army in kyiv, supports the decision of Wimbledon organizers to exclude Russians and Belarusians from the next edition of the tournament (June 27 - July 10) .
The former 31st in the world, who retired from sport and left his London home on March 1 to go to Ukraine, gave an interview to the English newspaper Mail on Sunday.
“During the first two weeks of the war, I was pretty quiet about it, thinking that each individual should be judged by their positioning, but we know how Russian troops behave in occupied cities.
We know what they can do: massacre, rape, torture.
My point of view is therefore different now, ”explained the 36-year-old Ukrainian.
“Professional tennis seems far away now.
It's surreal”
This point of view contrasts with the general opinion of the circuit.
The ATP and WTA, which manage the men's and women's professional circuits, have recently welcomed the Wimbledon decision and are considering a response.
Serbian Novak Djokovic told him about a "crazy" decision.
“Tennis players, athletes have nothing to do with what is happening.
When politics intervenes in sport, it's never good, ”said the world number one this week.
“I don't understand how they can contribute to what is happening in the war.
You prevent them from exercising their right to compete.
In fact, in tennis we have a rule against discrimination that says tennis players play according to their ranking and not their nationality, and so Wimbledon broke that rule,” he said on Saturday.
Stakhovsky justifies his opinion by the scenes of terror he witnessed in Kharkiv and Boutcha.
“These images are going to stay with me for a long time, but hopefully I can get rid of them at some point,” he said.
“At first there was fear but it's strange how you can get used to war, how you can get used to anything.
We know that a missile can land anywhere in the country.
Professional tennis seems far away now.
It's surreal,” he added.
The list of athletes affected by this boycott to which the government of Boris Johnson was attached is anything but negligible.
Daniil Medvedev, world number two, Andrey Rublev (8th), Aryna Sabalenka (4th and semi-finalist last year), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15th) and Viktoria Azarenka (ex-N.1 today 18th) will not be able to defend their chances in London.
