“A lot of players play without breathing correctly, and they get out of breath, and they are taught quite often to grunt.  It’s a way to breathe well while you play,”  Patrick Mouratoglou said in April last year. Grunting has long been a quirky yet common trait in both WTA and ATP matches, sometimes even sparking laughs. Andre Agassi’s infamous loud grunts against Andy Roddick once had umpire John McEnroe in stitches during Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. Fast forward to now, Russian ace Andrey Rublev’s signature “BWEH” has gone viral for its sheer intensity. But here’s the twist: Rublev has now revealed its origin!

Andrey Rublev, often dubbed the King of ATP 500s, added another feather to his cap on Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The World No. 8 dominated his first-round match against Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory, notching his 100th career win at the ATP 500 level. Since the ATP 500 series began in 2009, Rublev has become just the 7th player to hit this milestone, and only the second born after 1990 to do so, following Alexander Zverev. It’s a testament to his consistency and grit on tour, especially at this competitive tier.

But despite his resounding win, what truly stole the spotlight was Rublev’s now-famous “Bweh” grunt. The unusual sound has gone viral in recent months, drawing laughs and curiosity from fans across the tennis world. In a recent light-hearted moment, the Russian finally revealed when exactly he started to grunt.

The official ATP Tour IG page shared a hilarious short video featuring Andrey Rublev, where fans playfully asked him, “When did you start to Bweh?” referencing his instantly recognizable on-court grunt. Staying true to his quirky sense of humor, Rublev responded: “When I started doing the bweh was since I was born in the stomach of my mom, I was doing BWEHHHH!”

The video quickly sparked laughter across social media, with fans loving Rublev’s lighthearted personality. The post was captioned with a fittingly funny caption, “Andrey spills the secret of the origin of the BWEH 😂😂😂.”

Rublev’s signature grunt has officially become a fan-favorite sound on the ATP Tour, and it’s not just the fans who are entertained. Fellow players have joined in on the fun too! One standout moment came when Stefanos Tsitsipas mimicked Rublev’s iconic grunt on camera, drawing a wave of laughs.

Even major tournaments are in on the joke as well. The Australian Open’s official Facebook page once shared a highlight of Rublev winning a point with flair, cheekily captioned, “Rublo reading it like a book 👀 🥳 Happy BWEH day.” The tennis world has fully embraced the Russian’s intense (and now iconic) vocal expression on court.

Now that the amusing genesis of Rublev’s signature grunt is public knowledge, let’s talk about his on-court performance, which has significantly improved. The 27-year-old has officially kicked off his clay-court season and is now ready to take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in the Round of 16 at the Barcelona Open.

“I’ve felt really well” —Andrey Rublev reflects on his performance against Jesper de Jong

Andrey Rublev put on a stunning performance under lights in Barcelona yesterday, cruising past Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win in just 64 minutes. De Jong, who recently cracked the Top 100, had no answers for Rublev’s aggressive baseline play.

Under the guidance of his new coach, Marat Safin, Rublev looked calm and composed, racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set. The World No. 8 maintained the momentum right through and eventually sealed the match in straight sets, easing into the second round. 

After a string of disappointing results since his title run in Doha, this dominant performance signaled a much-needed return to form for the Russian. And following the match, he expressed his relief and confidence, noting how good it felt to find rhythm again on the court.

Speaking to the ATP Tour.com after the match, Rublev said, “Today is the first match in a long time that I’ve felt really well. I played really aggressively from the beginning. I was really lucky that I was able to win in straight sets, because I have known him this year. For me, I was preparing for a really tough match.”

The Russian’s path ahead is anything but easy. In the R16, he awaits a tough challenge as he will face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, a recent Monte Carlo semifinalist known for his clay-court prowess. Can Rublev build on the momentum of his R32 victory and cruise past Fokina in R16? Share our thoughts in the comments below.