Andrey Rublev looked excellent on the tennis court at the 2024 Madrid Open, but things weren't so well off the court.
The Russian finally snapped his month-long slump, and he did it in style. He went all the way at the Madrid Open, winning the trophy after beating Auger-Aliassime in the final in three sets.
The win was hugely important for Rublev, who had been in a slump for a while. It was rough, as he was losing matches to players who weren't even close to his level, but it all came together at the ATP 1000 tournament in Madrid.
What makes it so special is the difficulties he endured off the court. Rubelv battled an illness all week long and has struggled to sleep for the past few days.
He spent a lot of time with doctors and credited them after the win, admitting that it was a miracle he was able to play the match at all.
"I was. There were a few issues I couldn’t fix. I have to give full credit to the doctors. They’re magicians. They were doing some tricky things.. Somehow I was able to at least play. I’ve never seen this in my life. They’re the best so far out of all the ones I’ve had on tour."
All of that contributed to making the trophy a pretty special one for Rublev. He called it the most proud title of his career because he was able to overcome a lack of confidence in his game and everything that happened off the court as well.
"I would say the most proud title of my career. Everything. I was almost dead every day. I wasn’t sleeping at night. The last 3 or 4 days I barely slept."
Now, he'll be able to rest up because he earned it. He was the best this week, taking out the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, and crowned himself the new champion.
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