Madrid Open: Despite Earning Bad Reputation, Andrey Rublev Claims He’s a Work in Progress With a Sincere Admission

Andrey Rublev has drawn a lot of attention this season, although not for all the right reasons. From angry outbursts on the court to throwing tantrums mid-match, Rublev has been in the headlines for his visible frustrations on the court. However, change is on the way. As hinted by the Russian player in a recent presser, he reflected on why he wants to change his on-court demeanor.

Known for his fiery temperament and emotional breakdown on the court, Andrey Rublev has received many warnings because of his behavior. However, the former World No. 5 is determined to improve for the better. But not because of the warnings. “I’m improving and not because of the warnings. I would like to believe that it is me who is the one who is improving. It doesn’t matter the situations that I had,” he declared.

And his change was visible during the Madrid Masters as well. But even after maintaining a calm demeanor throughout the tournament, Rublev’s moment of frustration once again caught the attention of fans. This happened when Andrey Rublev started arguing with the chair umpire in his quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz.

However, this is not the first time. Even during the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year, the same scene unfolded. Rublev’s monstrous forehand strokes highlighted not only his aggressive style of play but also his frustration during the match.

And although it worked as he won that match, his anger raised eyebrows in the tennis community. But the incident that left all of us in shock was during the semi-final match of the Dubai Tennis Championships. There, after repeated warnings, the Russian was ultimately disqualified from the match against Alexander Bublik.

The reason was his “unsportsmanlike” behavior, which involved shouting at the line judge after a disputed call. However, now he is on a path to improving himself. And he revealed that it was not the Dubai disqualification that prompted this change, but something else.

Andrey Rublev reveals how he has endured “many warnings in life”

Andrey Rublev suggested that he was very calm, coming into the Madrid Open, just like how he was during the Wimbledon match last year. But when asked if the Dubai incident was the reason behind it, he refused. Rather, he hinted at something personal.

“I had many, many warnings in life already that show me that I need to be more calm, so it was not only with Dubai doing but in general many times that I was close to doing something not good, and I was lucky that everything went well,” Rublev said in an interview.

However, things have indeed improved since then. After a disappointing four-match losing streak, the World No. 8 has qualified for his first final match of the season at the Madrid Open. And whether he remains calm in this vital match against Felix Auger Aliassime, only time will tell.