Former tennis player Dolgopolov returned to Ukraine: “You can’t just watch”

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, retired tennis pro Alexandr Dolgopolov was in Turkey — but was soon on his way home to his native Ukraine to join the war.

The former world No. 13 retired from the sport last year following a career that took him around the world. But he returned to Ukraine “because it’s my home,” he told CNN on Friday.

While preparing for the trip, Dolgopolov had doubts about whether he was ready to kill or die, he said. But once Russia began targeting civilian infrastructure, “it became the business of every Ukrainian,” he said. “You can’t just watch how they shoot your people.”

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