Rublev Turns To Psychologist To Tackle Depression Reveals His Coach

| by Jordan Reynolds

Andrey Rublev's coach, Fernando Vicente, has discussed his player's mental health struggles and going to see a psychologist for assistance.

Rublev is one of the most well-liked players on the ATP Tour. He has many friends on the circuit, the closest of them being Daniil Medvedev, demonstrated by Rublev being the godfather to the 2021 US Open champion's child.

A very rare example of Rublev eliciting a heated reaction from a fellow player was when Lorenzo Sonego slammed the 10-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist for withdrawing from the Moselle Open the day after beating him at the event.

Rublev only entered last month's Moselle Open because his place at the ATP Finals was unconfirmed at that stage, but he qualified when Novak Djokovic eventually withdrew from the event, meaning Rublev pulled out of the Moselle Open.

Although Rublev is well-liked off the court, his outbursts during matches are often concerning. The 27-year-old's rage can be explosive, not only impacting how he performs, but also making some worry about his general mental health.

A particularly violent example came at this year's Paris Masters when Rublev drew blood from his knee after smacking his racket against it several times. The video of him doing that was hard to watch and raised concerns about him.

Rublev has spoken about trying to improve his behavior during matches by working with a psychologist to address what can make him so volatile during matches. Players showing passion is not a bad thing, but this year's Madrid Open champion goes beyond that point.

However, Rublev does not just go to a psychologist for getting angry on the court. The deeper root cause is a struggle with depression, which his coach discussed in a recent interview with Championat.

Vicente revealed that Rublev went to a psychologist three times a week, and he and the rest of his team attempted to do everything possible to support him throughout that entire process.

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"We tried to be close to him, to support him, we went to the psychologist three times a week, where the conversation revolved around Rublev remembering where he was when it all started and what heights he managed to reach. This is a normal situation. As a coach, I also face many problems throughout the year." 

Rublev's coach also discussed what an eventful and crazy season it had been for his player, mentioning a very scary incident when Rublev almost had a testicle removed after a serious issue developed after the US Open.

"It's been a crazy season. Before the Chinese series, he had a problem with a testicle. The doctor begged him not to go, but Andrey wanted to. Then he had a problem in the abdominal area and could hardly serve. Andrey is crazy, in the good sense of the word." 

"He always wants to train: Monday, Saturday, Sunday, it doesn't matter. I have to kick him off the court. I'm glad to train a player like that." 

Hopefully, Rublev can find the peace of mind he needs. The ATP star clearly has a very good heart despite frequent outbursts during matches.

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