(London) Former Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, 36, has joined the armed forces to defend his country against Russian invasion, although he told the BBC on Tuesday that he hopes “not to have to use a weapon fire “.

He is best known for beating Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013, in the second round.

Stakhovsky retired after the last Australian Open in January and returned to Kyiv to help defend his country like many other sports figures.

He had to leave his wife and children behind in Hungary for this.

“I’m not sure how I got there,” he admitted, “I know it’s very hard for my wife. My children don’t know I’m here. They don’t understand war. They are too small to understand what is happening,” he said.

Former boxing world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, pictured in uniform and with a machine gun slung over his face on his Facebook page, and current WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk are also said to have joined the Ukraine to engage in the defense forces.

British boxer Tyson Fury, holder of the WBC premier class belt, praised Usyk’s decision at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of his fight against compatriot Dillian Whyte scheduled for the end of April.

“I would be on the front line if England or the United States were involved in a war,” Fury said. My father and all the boys [ses frères et cousins], too. Love your women and defend your country! “, he shouted.

Legend of Ukrainian boxing and sport, Vitali Klitschko, current mayor of Kiev, will also participate in the fights, as well as his brother, Vladimir, also a long-time world heavyweight champion, who has joined the reserves.

“I am a Ukrainian and I am a fighter,” Vladimir announced on Monday.

“Our main strength is our desire to live in a free country and we decided the direction we wanted to take,” he said.