Sergiy Stakhovsky: Sporting sanctions alone will not stop Vladimir Putin’s army

Former tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, who has joined the fight against the Russian invasion of his home country Ukraine, admits sporting sanctions alone will not stop Vladimir Putin’s army.

Stakhovsky, who was once ranked 31 in the world and defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013, is among a number of athletes who have travelled to Ukraine to join the resistance effort.

“The support and even the restrictions and sanctions of the Russian federation in terms of sport, culture, is great, it’s working. I’m very sure it’s working,” Stakhovsky said.

“But it doesn’t stop him from what he’s doing and somebody needs to put a stop to him.”

Stakhovsky was speaking to Good Morning Britain dressed in army fatigues in a stark reminder of the desperate situation in Ukraine.

He added: “I would never in my life believe that they would invade on a full scale. But that’s what Russia’s agenda is – to deliver chaos and instability in Europe.

We are not sure what he is going to do next- Sergiy Stakhovsky

“We are being punished because we want a better life and are reaching out to Europe.

“I am not really sure we can have a person in today’s world who has the capability of nuclear weapons. We are not sure what he is going to do next.”

Tennis’ governing bodies will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete under a neutral flag but both countries have been banned from international competition, including the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.

The Kremlin Cup, a joint ATP and WTA tournament due to be held in October, has also been suspended.

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