Naomi Osaka's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, admits Andrey Rublev hurts himself during some of his outbursts on the court but also thinks that is part of the 27-year-old's make-up.
Rublev is one of the most well-liked people off the court on the ATP Tour. He has friendships with multiple players, particularly Daniil Medvedev, demonstrated by Rublev being named the godfather to his child.
However, the ten-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist is an entirely different character during matches and regularly has some of the most aggressive meltdowns in either the men's or women's game.
Although there are many examples, one of the most extreme cases came at the Paris Masters. During the second set of his defeat against Francisco Cerundolo, Rublev repeatedly hit his racket against his knee.
That led to blood pouring from the player's knee. Rublev causing himself harm during one of his meltdowns made it more severe than any of his previous incidents, and many fans expressed concern for him afterward.
The stress of trying to qualify for the ATP Finals may have partially contributed to that unsavory moment. Rublev's place at the season-ending tournament in Turin was not secure after the Paris Masters, leading to his entry into the Moselle Open.
Novak Djokovic's subsequent withdrawal from the ATP Finals meant Rublev did qualify, leading to his withdrawal from the Moselle Open after his first match. He recently responded to fiery criticism from Lorenzo Sonego, who was unhappy with Rublev's withdrawal.
Unfortunately, Rublev has not been able to capitalize on the opportunity to play at the ATP Finals. This year's Madrid Open champion lost his opening matches against Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.
Many feel Rublev controlling his emotions better on the court will help him, especially in big matches against the best players who can take advantage of his anger.
Mouratoglou does not think the solution is that straightforward. While admitting Rublev can do himself damage sometimes, Serena Williams' former coach told Tennis365 ahead of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown Grand final in Longdon that he needs some craziness during his matches.
"I think he had some tough moments this year, he has struggled to control himself and I think he hurts himself. He had one moment like this in UTS Grand Final in London last year, and I saw him after the match and he was feeling so bad about himself, he said sorry 200 times, he was so ashamed."
"But when he’s in the heat of the moment, he’s just not him, it’s the heat of the movement that he’s struggling with. When this happens I think it hurts him and I think it hurts his results this year. You had this one at UTS, you had Dubai, and I think that’s one of the reasons he’s struggled so much this year."
"I think he needs that craziness to play his best and I think that if he tries to control it because he’s scared to go too far, then he struggles to find his tennis so that’s a thin line that’s difficult to find for him."
Rublev has admitted to getting professional help for his meltdowns. Hopefully, he can find the right balance in the future so that any meltdowns do not end in ugly scenes such as making himself bleed.
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