Andrey Rublev has pulled out of the Moselle Open in Metz because of an injury, just a few days before the ATP Finals begin.
Rublev played Lorenzo Sonego in the opening round in Metz. He defeated the Italian 7-6, 7-5 in a competitive and enjoyable contest for the fans watching in the stadium and worldwide.
The ten-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist's involvement at the Moselle Open may have surprised many since the ATP Finals in Turin starts on November 10th, meaning the turnaround after the event in Metz is very quick.
Rublev, Alex de Minaur, and Casper Ruud's places at the 2024 ATP Finals in Turin were confirmed after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the year-end tournament he has won on seven occasions.
Djokovic had not officially qualified for the ATP Finals, but only an improbable set of results, including Rublev and de Minaur winning the titles in Metz and the Serbia Open, would have prevented him from doing so.
However, after much speculation, Djokovic announced on Wednesday that he will not compete in Turin because of an injury. Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion was not specific, the Serbian is most likely referring to the knee injury he has managed since the French Open.
Ruud and de Minaur have taken differing approaches since their places at the ATP Finals were confirmed. The Norwegian is scheduled to play his opening match of the Moselle Open against Benjamin Bonzi on Thursday.
By contrast, de Minaur withdrew from the Serbia Open in Belgrade. The Australian missed most of the North American hardcourt swing and the entire Asian swing with a hip injury first sustained at Wimbledon.
Rublev undoubtedly delighted the Moselle Open organizers by playing against Sonego and drawing a good crowd. But the 27-year-old might regret that decision after picking up an injury concern during the match.
Despite triumphing in straight sets, Rublev experienced pain during the match, which was confirmed by on-site medical staff who communicated with the player about the issue.
Rublev is suspected to have an abdominal injury. Unsurprisingly, he chose to withdraw from the ATP 250 tournament and travel to Turin to follow a treatment and recovery protocol for the injury.
The severity of the injury is currently unknown. Going to Turin for the treatment and recovery protocol will give him a better chance of being ready for the season-ending finals, but it is uncertain whether Rublev is confident of being fit enough for the ATP Finals.
Grigor Dimitrov is the first alternate for the 2024 ATP Finals, while Stefanos Tsitsipas is the second. The likelihood of them being involved has increased after Rublev's injury, but it remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming days.
Rublev is a fiery character on the court, as demonstrated by his concerning meltdown at the Paris Masters last week. However, if he is fit, this year's ATP Finals will be his fifth consecutive appearance at the event, showing the Russian's impressive consistency.