During a heated ATP Finals clash against Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 5 Andrey Rublev found himself embroiled in a burst of on-court frustration that resulted in a knee injury. The Russian player, after losing the opening set 7-5, displayed visible frustration, culminating in an act of self-flagellation with his racquet.
Rublev’s pent-up emotions boiled over as he missed a crucial shot, subsequently breaking his racquet in frustration. Following a subsequent missed shot and being broken by Alcaraz, Rublev repeatedly struck his racquet against the court until his kneecap was bloodied. Despite the injury, an emotional Rublev continued to play after receiving attention from his team during the break between games.
Even @NickKyrgios believes Rublev went overboard when he smashed his knee with his racquet 😂#TCLive pic.twitter.com/av43izjEFI
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 15, 2023
Alcaraz, seizing the advantage of Rublev’s emotional unraveling, secured a straight-sets victory, winning 7-5, 6-2 in their first career meeting. Post-match, when queried about his knee injury, Rublev downplayed its severity, stating it was ‘okay’ and dismissing it as ‘nothing.’
However, in the press conference following his defeat, Rublev expressed personal disappointment with his end-of-season form, citing struggles to manage frustration. With two consecutive losses in the tournament, he currently sits at the bottom of his group, trailing Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev.
Before entering the ATP Finals, Rublev suffered an earlier defeat in the Paris Masters at the hands of eventual champion Novak Djokovic. In the green group, Jannik Sinner took an early lead after securing a surprise victory against Djokovic, marking the first win in their head-to-head history.
Andrey Rublev in 2023
At the moment ranked no.5 (career-high), Rublev played his last match on the 15th of November when he lost to world no.2 Carlos Alcaraz 7-5 6-2 in the round robin in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
During this season Rublev achieved a composed 56-25 win-loss record. Andrey clinched 2 titles in 2023 in Monte-Carlo and Bastad. Rublev got to the final in Dubai, Banja Luka, Halle and Shanghai.
