Unlike Novak Djokovic “Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Prefer To Be Silent” Over Growing Global Tensions Says Former Player

People did not know a lot about Sergiy Stakhovsky a few months back. Some might remember him getting better of Roger Federer in the 2013 Wimbledon. But his name was not a very well-known one up until recent times. However, under the current geopolitical scenario, he is turning up in the news more than for his tennis career.

He was a mid-level pro player on the ATP circuit, from Ukraine, who officially retired after the Australian Open 2022. However, recently he came into the limelight when he announced that he would join the efforts by his country, given the current unrest with regards to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Djokovic sends Sergiy Stakhovsky his support

Many players have spoken about the issue and provided their support by, at times, talking about it in their post-match interviewers or writing about it on the camera glass. Recently, Ukrainian WTA player Elina Svitolina has declared that she will not be playing any matches against a Russian player.

Recently Stakhovsky opened up about Novak Djokovic contacting him to show his support. He told ‘La Stampa’ “Djokovic sent me a message of support, we even chatted a bit,” he said.

Djokovic himself was born in a war-torn Serbia and is quite familiar with living life amidst political unrest. He also, however, has been going through some difficulties in a professional capacity. He recently lost his No. 1 ranking and lost in the quarterfinals to Jiri Vesely at the Dubai Tennis Championships. He has failed to get permission to travel to any of the tournaments in the US swing because of the USA’s vaccine mandate.

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He also mentioned reaching out to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but they chose not to comment.

“I tried to contact Federer and Nadal, I’m sorry they preferred silence. I understand them, it’s not their war. We have the support of great personalities, I hope it lasts,” he told La Stampa.

Stakhovsky says leaving family behind was ‘hard’

Stakhovsky who joined the Ukrainian forces, left his wife and kids at their home in Hungary. On a BBC Radio 4’s show, he said the decision was horrible to make.

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“I’m still not sure how I’ve done it. I know that it’s extremely hard on my wife. My kids don’t know that I’m here,” he added, mentioning how his children are being made to believe that he is away on a tennis tournament, as the current situation is too complex for them to understand.