Sergeiy Stakhovsky (born 6 January 1986 in Kiev) is a Ukrainian professional tennis player. He turned professional in 2003 and played mainly at the Challenger level from 2005 to 2008. He reached his highest ATP singles ranking of 31st in September 2010 and 33rd in doubles the same month. He won his first career title in March 2008, when he was ranked 209th as a lucky loser and defeated highly-seeded Ivan Ljubičić in the final, becoming the first lucky loser to win a title since Christian Miniussi in 1991. He is the older brother of tennis player Leonard Stakhovsky. He is currently coached by Alexander Sobkin. The tennis player is known for defeating seven-time winner and defending champion Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon 2013, ending his record-breaking streak of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal titles.
1. Is tennis popular in your family, does your brother play it too? And why tennis in particular?
That's right, sports are popular in our family. My father played basketball during his student days and thanks to that he got into medical school in Kiev. My mother played table tennis, my older brother played basketball until he was eighteen, and even made it to the Ukrainian national team. My younger brother got a scholarship to Penn State College thanks to tennis, where he plays for the university and is studying Petroleum Engineering. When I was six years old, my grandfather took me to tennis and I really liked it, but in addition to tennis, I also went swimming and basketball.
2. How would you describe your relationship with tennis?
It's a job I do with great joy. Very demanding physical and mental work. Tennis has been my life for over 20 years and I'm glad I managed to make a name for myself in it.
3. Last year at Wimbledon you defeated Roger Federer (ATP3). Describe your feelings to us. What was it like?
It was a special day in my career. Roger had only lost three matches in ten years before playing me on Centre Court at Wimbledon. It was incredible to play in front of 15,000 people and it was even more amazing to walk away victorious.
4. When you play, what do you think about during the match?
During the match, I am always looking for tactical options to get to my opponent. I look for his weak points, where he makes more mistakes, where he serves more often, etc. Concentration is very important in tennis. Even though a tennis match is very long, a single ball can decide its outcome.
5. In your opinion, how is it possible to reach the top in today's "professional" tennis? What is the most important thing?
In my opinion, the more important thing is the determination to work and of course the right implementation team. Tennis has become a very athletic sport, every tennis player is extremely fit and is able to play several 5-set duels several days in a row.
6. What do you plan to do after your active career ends? What are your hobbies besides tennis?
I have a lot of opportunities, thanks to tennis I have gained many valuable contacts. At the moment, after tennis, I would like to join the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, because I think that my sports knowledge can be applied there and help the next generation of athletes. In addition, I will finally have enough time to devote to my foundation.
7. You attend a number of tournaments every year, which one is your favorite and why?
I really enjoy returning to tournaments where I played well. But Paris is very special to me, because that's where I met my wife Anfisa.
8. To what extent is the tennis match carried beyond the court? Is it even possible to have friends among the opponents?
Every player is different, but it is common for players from the same country to stick together more. It is difficult to have friends on the circuit because it is difficult to play against them. So every player tries to keep their distance. I have a very friendly relationship with only two players – Mikhail Youzhny and Sergei Bubka Jr. But I talk to all the players, I communicate with them every day.
It's strange, but tennis is a very lonely sport and even though it attracts thousands of spectators, you're still alone on that court, no one will help you much during the match.
9. What led you to start your own charity?
It was a combination of factors that ultimately led to the founding of AceTheCancerFung. My paternal uncle died of stomach cancer in 2008, and I knew I wanted to start something that would fight this insidious disease and help people through this difficult time. And since my father is a professor of onco-urology, I knew that if I gave the money to his department, it wouldn't go to waste.
It is very important to do good to people. Small, everyday good deeds can make a big difference. People these days don't believe in good deeds that are just done; they look for a reason behind everything, and that scares me personally.
10. What would you like to achieve in your career? What is the pinnacle of your career for you?
I would like to climb higher in the rankings than I already was (31). I think I have all the means and a good management team that can help me with that. The main thing is to be healthy and have the desire to work. I really hope that the peak of my career is still ahead of me! I have won four ATP tournaments and I hope that another title will be added there soon.
11. What advice would you give to budding tennis enthusiasts, perhaps future pros?
I can only say one thing: hard work always pays off. Never give up. Never stop believing. It's a tough sport and only a tiny percentage of all enthusiasts can make it in tennis, but no one knows when someone will succeed. Maybe at 18, maybe at 22, maybe at 26. You have to give everything to tennis if you want to be successful.
Vladimir Orth