Following the contentious end to his participation at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Andrey Rublev took to social media to express his gratitude to fans and the tennis community for their support. The Russian player, who was defaulted during his semifinal match against Alexander Bublik, vowed to “learn from this” experience and strive to become a better player and person.

Rublev’s default occurred at 6-5 in the third set of his semifinal encounter due to alleged verbal abuse of an official in his native Russian, a claim vehemently denied by Rublev. Despite his appeal to the ATP, the tour initially ruled in favor of the default but later reversed the decision upon review, allowing Rublev to retain his ranking points and prize money. However, he was fined $36,400 for the incident.

Expressing his relief at the ATP’s decision, Rublev emphasized the need for a closer examination of the rule pertaining to defaults and advocated for the implementation of video review in such cases. He stated, “I hope that in the future, the ATP will take a closer look at this rule and make changes to it, so that an official can’t force a match outcome without having clear evidence and not letting the player have video review.”

Rublev received widespread support from current and former players, coaches, and fans alike, with many rallying behind him in the aftermath of the incident. Despite his disappointment at not being able to finish the semifinal match, Rublev expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support he received and pledged to use this experience as a catalyst for personal and professional growth.

As he prepares to return to action at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he is seeded No. 5, Rublev remains focused on his tennis career while reflecting on the lessons learned from the Dubai controversy. “Thank you to everyone supporting me,” he concluded. “I promise I will learn from this and will try to be a better player and better person.”

Andrey Rublev in 2024

Currently the world no.5 (career-high), Rublev played his last match on the 1^st of March when he lost to world no.20 Alexander Bublik 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 6-5 def. in the semifinal in Dubai (draw).

This season the Russian has managed to achieve a 14-4 match record. The Russian has won 1 title in Hong Kong.