• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
World’s Oldest Tennis Player Says He’s Staying In Ukraine

Home> News

Published 20:09 8 Mar 2022 GMT

World’s Oldest Tennis Player Says He’s Staying In Ukraine

Leonid Stanislavskyi, 97, said he's 'not afraid of anyone' and vowed to stay in his country despite the ongoing war

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

The world’s oldest tennis player has revealed he’s staying put in Ukraine, saying he wants to ‘survive’ the frightening war and is ‘not afraid of anyone’. 

Leonid Stanislavskyi, 97, saw his dreams come true last year when he played with 21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. 

However, just four months later, his world was turned upside down when Vladimir Putin’s government invaded his country – something that’s threatening to get in the way of his hobby, but not his resolve. 

Advert

Stanislavskyi, who holds the Guinness World Record as the world's oldest tennis player, told Reuters: “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. 

“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.” 

Earlier in his life, Stanislavskyi survived the Second World War – having been an engineer who helped build Soviet warplanes to fight the Nazis. 

Leonid Stanislavskyi.
Alamy

He continued: "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. 

Advert

"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." 

It wasn’t until his 30s that Stanislavskyi started playing tennis, and used to train three times a week. 

Now he says the sport is his ‘life’, meaning he hopes to see an end to the war so that he can continue playing, and even potentially appear at the next seniors World Championships when it is held in Florida, United States, next month. 

Stanislavskyi said: "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.” 

Advert

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: No Article Matching, Sport, Ukraine

Jess Hardiman
Jess Hardiman

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

X

@Jess_Hardiman

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

4 mins ago
17 mins ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • 4 mins ago

    Tragic update in case of skydiver who died after jumping 10,000ft from plane

    Jade Damarell died from 'blunt trauma' following the fateful skydive in April

    News
  • 17 mins ago

    Everything Kid Cudi shared about Diddy and Cassie as he took stand in trial

    Kid Cudi claimed that Diddy messaged and called him before setting his Porsche on fire

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Woman, 25, has 'life changed forever' after car accident leads to heartbreaking discovery

    Paige Myatt-Taylor was given a devastating diagnosis after being checked over following a car crash

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Kid Cudi says Diddy blew up his Porsche and ‘messed with his dog’ after finding out he was dating Cassie

    The rapper, real name Scott Mescudi, has taken to the stand to share his side of the story

    News
  • Ukrainians With Passports Will Now Be Able To Apply For Visa In Government U-Turn
  • Police Hunt For Missing British Teacher Who Disappeared In Japan
  • Brighton Cat Killer Who Murdered At Least 9 Cats Dies In Jail
  • Billionaire will 'spend everything' to get justice after brother died following nightclub altercation in Spain