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That has not stopped him from participating in the world and
European championships for seniors and outplaying younger
competitors, although he is not moving around the court as fast
as he used to.
Stanislavskyi was 30 when his colleague, then a Soviet champion
in gymnastics, introduced him to tennis. Since then, he has
trained three times a week in his hometown of Kharkiv in eastern
Ukraine.
"It is an elegant type of sport. It is good physical exercise.
It is a beautiful game. And there is one more thing about tennis
– you can play no matter what age you are," he told Reuters.
A Guinness World Record holder as the world's oldest tennis
player, Stanislavskyi has been training hard ahead of the 2021
Super-Seniors World Championship due to be held in October in
Mallorca, Spain.
For the first time, the International Tennis Federation has
introduced a 90-and-over age group in the 2021 tournament after
Stanislavskyi sent a written request to the federation asking
for the new category to be added.
"When I was 95 years old, I felt much better than now," said
Stanislavskyi, who moves at his own pace trying to return every
shot. "It is even hard to walk when you are 97 years old.
"People under 70 say: 'Thank goodness I lived another year.'
People between 70 and 90 say: 'Thank goodness I lived another
month.' I count every day and say: 'Thank God I lived another
day.'"
Stanislavskyi said the secret to his longevity was a mixture of
good genes and regular sport.
He starts each morning with gymnastics and a series of push-ups
and pull-ups. Besides tennis, Stanislavskyi is a passionate fan
of swimming and skiing and dreams of making a parachute jump.
He says his ultimate goal is to live to 100 years old and take
on Roger Federer.
(Editing by Mike Collett-White)
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