Russian tennis sensation Andrey Rublev experiences a dramatic on-court meltdown in Turin, slamming his racquet into his knee six times during a tough match against Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals. The Wimbledon champion faced a straight-set defeat of 7-5, 6-2 in Italy, putting his qualification in jeopardy after losses to Daniil Medvedev and the Spanish opponent.
In a burst of frustration, Rublev, ranked No. 5 globally, visibly struggled as he struck his racquet into the court following a missed shot that gave Alcaraz a break point in the second set. The intense scene unfolded as the 26-year-old repeatedly brought down his racquet, resulting in a cut knee.
Andrey Rublev’s Bloody Injury
Despite the injury, Rublev continued to play, receiving attention from his team during breaks. The emotional outburst seemed to unravel him further, allowing Alcaraz to secure a straight-set victory in their first-ever career meeting.
In a post-match interview, Rublev downplayed the knee injury, stating it was ‘okay’ and ‘nothing happened.’ However, in the subsequent press conference, he expressed personal disappointment with his overall performance in the season’s final matches.
This marks Rublev’s second defeat in Turin, following a loss to compatriot Daniil Medvedev in the tournament opener. Frustrated with his form, Rublev lamented, “It’s very disappointing that I was not able to manage my frustration better.”
With two consecutive losses, Rublev finds himself at the bottom of his red group, trailing behind Alcaraz, Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev, whom he will face in the final round-robin tie. Prior to the ATP Finals, Rublev faced elimination from the Paris Masters by eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, the world No. 1 Djokovic experiences an unexpected start to the tournament in Turin, with Jannik Sinner leading the green group after defeating Djokovic for the first time in their head-to-head history. Sinner’s hard-fought victory against the US Open champion adds excitement to the competition, with the Italian claiming a 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-2) win in a match lasting just over three hours.
