‘Didn’t Behave Very Nicely’ – Andrey Rublev Reveals Real Reason Behind Choosing To Play Novak Djokovic’s Home Tournament Over Barcelona Open

Andrey Rublev recently won his 11th ATP singles title and the World No. 9 must be on Cloud nine. Not only did he win the title, he also defeated world no. 1 Novak Djokovic despite the latter’s home crowd advantage. The Russian played a tight match in the finals and even managed to bagel Novak in the last set which is quite the feat given Djokovic’s insane arsenal of skills.

But Rublev, known as the ‘nice’ one on the tour, was asked a tough question after his win.

Why did Andrey Rublev choose to play at Serbia Open?

The Serbia Open and the Barcelona Open have been happening pretty much simultaneously. Many experts were wondering why Andrey Rublev played in Belgrade instead of at Barcelona, which gives him a chance to win more points.

Rublev did not reveal the exact reason but did say that the organizers at the Barcelona Open had not been nice to him and some other players the last time they played there. He also mentioned that the tournament is like a second home to him. The Russian is also a member of the club at which it is played. But it was last year’s actions that made Rublev accept the Serbian Open invitation.

Also read: ‘Will Be His Moment’ – Andrey Rublev on Playing Against Novak Djokovic on His Home Soil at Serbia Open 2022

“I do not want to reveal the details, but these were really significant nuances, surprising that some well-known names were missing from the list of participants at Barcelona Tournament. As a result, I accepted the invitation to play at the Serbia Open and not lose. In Belgrade, I was treated ten times better than I could have expected,” he said.

A new Barcelona Open champion is crowned

Coming to the Barcelona Open,  Carlos Alcaraz won his fourth career title by defeating compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets. But what is interesting is that he won the final just hours after a grueling 3 hours 40 minutes semi-final battle.

Alcaraz joins the rare group of players to break into the Top 10 as a teenager. Statistics show that 11 of those 20 players have attained no.1 rankings in the ATP circuit. Given Alcaraz’s grit, determination, skill and maturity on-court, it can be said with utmost certainty that this Spanish youngster definitely has the capacity to become the next big champion.

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