Ex-Wimbledon player now patrolling streets of Ukraine with huge machine gun

Sergiy Stakhovsky once stood on top of the world when, in 2013, he beat Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon.

However, like all Ukrainians, that world came tumbling down last month when Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine. And like many Ukrainian sportsmen and women, Stakhovsky put his career on hold to go and help the war effort.

Stakhovsky, who played in January's Australian Open, is now stationed in Kyiv, and he was recently snapped patrolling the streets in full army gear with a machine gun in his hands. Speaking about his role, Stakhovsky said: "We are a group of three to five people.

"We have a sector in which we patrol. Everyone has a two-hour shift, then six hours of rest, then you have to get out for two hours again, whether it's day or in the middle of the night."

"We look to see if there are Russian agents and prevent marauders from breaking into shops."

Before he added: "If Ukraine loses this war, it will be eradicated from all history books. It will disappear from the earth as a country."

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Stakhovsky isn't the only sportsperson to postpone their career and boxing brother Vitaly and Wladimir Klitschko are also on the front lines.

While Oleksandr Usyk had flown home to help out, he has now received an exemption to return to his boxing career to prepare for a rematch with Anthony Joshua.

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