A Tennis Star Has Returned To Ukraine To Assist In The Fight Against The Russians, He Kept It A Secret From His Children

Sergiy Stakhovsky, a Ukrainian tennis player, was on holiday in Dubai with his family when Russian forces invaded his homeland.

He made the difficult decision to leave his wife and three small children behind in Hungary and return to fight in his nation. He is now a reserve in the Ukrainian army, assisting in the defense of Kyiv, the country's capital.

As a Russian military convoy approaches the city and fear fills the air, Stakhovsky, 36, says he is ready to go to any length. On Thursday, he stated that his purpose is to assist in the saving of Ukraine for its population and his children.

"I was born here, my grandparents are buried here, and I'd like to be able to tell my kids about the past," he said. "No one wants Russia to free them; they already have freedom and democracy... Russia wants to bring despair and poverty to them."

Stakhovsky had only recently announced his retirement from professional tennis at the Australian Open, capping an 18-year career. Now he's holed up in Kyiv with his fellow citizen troops, questioning his decision.

Stakhovsky, who was formerly the world's 31st-ranked men's tennis player, beat Roger Federer in a huge upset at Wimbledon in 2013.

He played his final professional match at the Australian Open in January. Fear and uncertainty now accompany his retirement days, as he listens to air-raid sirens and explosions.

Stakhovsky believes that people like him, who are inexperienced in battle but fervently patriotic, make up a significant portion of the warriors defending Ukraine.

However, he said that abandoning his wife and children to put himself in danger was a difficult decision.

"It's hard to make that decision without pause. I have three children and a wife "he stated "If I stayed at home, I'd be sorry I didn't come back (to Ukraine), and now that I'm here, I'm sorry I left them at home."

His wife, he claimed, is likewise debating his decision.