Alexander Zverev has found himself in a difficult space as he continues to struggle to find his form back. Thus, his close friend, the Russian tennis star, Andrey Rublev, wasn’t elated to win matches against him. The duo have spent their childhood playing against each other. Given the empathetic nature of Rublev; he is not enjoying his win. In an emotional confession, he revealed his true feelings after winning against Zverev.
On the other hand, Zverev has been having a hard time finding his grit back on the court after last year’s French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal. Once again, Zverev faced a smashing defeat by Rublev in straight sets in the semi-finals of the Swedish Open.
Andrey Rublev confesses his true feelings after defeating Alexander Zverev
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The duo have a long history of blooming friendship since their childhood. They have played against each other since they were 12 years old. However, given the amiable personality of the Russian tennis star, he is not elated to take down his closest friend in a match.
The duo had a face-off against each other at the quarter-finals of the Bastad Open. In the end, Rublev took down Zverev with a score of 6-2, 6-3 in just 68 minutes. The straight-set victory would have been enjoyable had it not been against Zverev.
The Russian tennis star later confessed, “To play your best friend is always tough. Win or lose, it’s a s**t feeling.”
Rublev. "To play your best friend is always tough. Win or lose, it's a shit feeling". https://t.co/XuQAeEIdr7
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) July 21, 2023
So, it did not matter if he won or lost, Rublev is not the type to keep his personal association with his loved ones out of the court.
Zverev has been finding it difficult to get his form back after last year’s French Open semi-final injury. During the match, Zverev twisted his ankle gruesomely. However, despite the hardships, he praised Rafael Nadal.
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Despite a career-threatening injury, Zverev chooses Rafael Nadal
The German tennis player had to retire during the match after he twisted his ankle. This injury took a lot of time to heal and even now Zverev is struggling to get back his peak form on the court.
Nonetheless, Zverev hailed Nadal’s ‘never give up’ spirit. Calling him the biggest fighter on tour, he praised his resilience to fight till the end.
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Do you think Zverev can imbibe that same spirit and get his form back? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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