In a difficult historical moment like the one that is going through the war in Ukraine, we cling to exciting stories. In the world of tennis, the story of Leonid Stanislavsky is striking: born in Ukraine, he is known for being the oldest tennis player in the world.
At the age of 27, he still practices sport three times a week. “Tennis is a beautiful game and has one characteristic: you can play it at any age”, said Stanislavsky a few months ago, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.
For his longevity in practicing this sport, Stanislavsky entered the Guinness Book of World Records and was able to meet the myth of him: Rafael Nadal. The two met in October last year and played a game together. Leonid Stanislavsky’s life changed when Vladimir Putin’s Russia decided to invade Ukraine, the tennis player’s country of origin.
The man lives in Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country and the one that has suffered the most bombings by the Russian army. As reported by Corriere della Sera, Stanislavsky has decided to stay in Ukraine, although there is a daughter who lives in Poland.
“I have hearing problems, so I sleep at night and don’t hear anything,” said the Ukrainian tennis player. Nadal has therefore decided to send a message to his colleague and his old playmate. In the message, reported by Corriere dello Sport, the Spanish tennis player wanted to send “support and support” to Stanislavsky “in this difficult situation”
Nadal has been having an incredible run in 2022 so far
Rafael Nadal extended his 2022 winning streak to 16 matches, having overcome Sebastian Korda in the second round of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. “I don’t know, I was super lucky today to be through, honestly,” Nadal said.
“Accepting that, I need to play better because I didn’t play well. I will work tomorrow to try to be ready for after tomorrow. I don’t know,” he continued. “I thought I lost today, so… And in Australia, very similar feeling.
But that not means that I going to keep trying or keep fighting, that’s all.” The 35-year-old added that talent, according to him, could mean different things to different people. The thing that mattered to him the most was the passion for the sport.
“Well, the word ‘talent’,” Nadal said. “It’s difficult because in this world there is so many different talents, no? From my point of view, of course you need to feel the passion for this sport, but at the same time everything — you can practice everything.”
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