Sometimes, Alexandr Dolgopolov nonetheless thinks about tennis. However not fairly often.
The 2011 Australian Open quarter-finalist is one in every of hundreds of Ukrainians combating on the frontline to defend his nation within the struggle with Russia.
Dolgopolov, 35, joined up when Russia invaded its japanese European neighbours in March 2022, and was supplied with army coaching to show him find out how to use weapons.
He has feared for his life beneath Russian assault, and has seen colleagues severely injured or killed. His days on the ATP Tour appear a good distance away.
“It has been robust on the battlefield within the final 12 months,” Dolgopolov, who final performed professionally in 2018 earlier than retiring three years later due to a recurring wrist harm, informed BBC Radio 4.
“When they’re firing and getting actually shut, you already know they know roughly the place you might be.
“When the spherical exits, you hear that after which you’ve got the few seconds the place it’s flying – it’s like loud whistles coming in – and then you definately really feel the influence.
“You hope the influence shouldn’t be precisely on the highest of the ditch.
“Whether it is a number of metres from you, you have to be fantastic since you’re half or one metre beneath the bottom. if it does not hit the ceiling, you have to be OK, however you do not know that.”
Dolgopolov has been deployed with Ukraine’s Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) within the Zaporizhzhia area of the nation and is at present again in capital metropolis Kyiv as he waits for his subsequent task.
Requested concerning the assaults his unit confronted, Dolgopolov stated: “Largely artillery fireplace and aircrafts, that is the principle hazard.
“The worst day was when mortars landed moderately near us.
“Normally it’s random fireplace and in the event that they see you, they shoot two, three, 5 instances after which neglect about it until they see what they’re aiming for. You attempt to cover and shield your self.
“This time it obtained actually intense and we obtained perhaps 20 rounds fired at us. They have been all shut.”
Dolgopolov describes how “comrades” have been misplaced, together with a Georgian soldier in his unit a month in the past. One other man misplaced his leg in an assault.
“We’ve not had too many shut folks useless however many have been injured,” he stated.
“We hear loads about different guys from different models, and buddies of buddies, dying.
“The longer it goes, the extra persons are useless.”
‘Is the world doing sufficient? I do not suppose so’
With the struggle nearing the two-year mark, Ukraine continues to face challenges – by way of monetary and army support – because it tries to repel Russian forces.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a suggestion that the nation could possibly be beginning to lose the struggle.
President Zelensky stated Ukraine’s army needs to mobilise as much as 500,000 further folks to hitch these resembling Dolgopolov who’ve already signed up.
However these are expensive proposals and there are fears in Ukraine that operations will likely be scaled again due to a drop-off in international support.
Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first girl, warned in a BBC interview earlier this month that Ukrainians have been in “mortal hazard” of being left to die with out additional Western assist.
Dolgopolov, who stated Ukrainian troops are capable of “analyse” how the struggle is panning out themselves by way of “crucial pondering”, agreed.
“We’d like armoury and devices to win this struggle. In the meanwhile, mathematically we’re not in place,” he stated.
“On the battlefield, Russia have benefits in most issues – extra folks, extra armoury and extra artillery rounds.
“Is the world doing sufficient? I do not suppose so. I believe it’s apparent by now.
“We aren’t getting sufficient, not quick sufficient, not sufficient amount, it’s a huge struggle and we want rather more.
“I believe the West must get up and perceive it is not simply Ukraine’s drawback. Actions need to be taken.”