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Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, number 228 in the world rankings, has brought to light some WhatsApp messages sent by Serbian Novak Djokovic (2) in which he offers him financial or any kind of support in face of the war affecting his country, while missing a similar gesture from Spanish Rafael Nadal (4) or Swiss Roger Federer (27).
“Thank you for your support. Ukraine is grateful,” Stakovsky says on his social media under a screenshot of Djokovic’s messages.
In them, the Serb asks him if he is “on the field,” says he is thinking of him, trusts that “all calms down soon” and asks for an address to send him “financial help, any other [kind of] help as well.”
Stakovsky, 36, who was ranked as high as 31st on the circuit in 2010, is in Kyiv, has joined the army, and has uploaded pictures of troops and different scenes from the city streets to his networks.
In his messages, he says that “never in his life” had he thought he would have to put on a bulletproof vest and says that Russian President Vladimir Putin should end up “where he belongs, in jail”.
Speaking to ‘La Stampa’, the player regretted not having received such explicit support from other players and mentioned Nadal and Federer.
“I also tried to get in touch with them, but I was unsuccessful,” he said.
“I regret that they prefer to remain silent, although I understand them. It is not their war. We have the backing of great personalities, I hope the support will last,” he was quoted as saying in the Italian daily.
