Andrey Rublev reveals anger management treatment and reacts to offer of help from Nick Kyrgios
Andrey Rublev’s anger management control was a subject of intense debate after a meltdown at the ATP Finals in Turin last month, with Nick Kyrgios even offering to help the Russian star find some peace on court.
Rublev smashed his racket violently into his leg as he struggled to contain his frustration amid a defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in Italy last month, with some observers encouraging him to seek help to contain his anger.
His outburst was compared to some of the most angry racket smashes served up by Kyrgios during his explosive career, with the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up suggesting Rublev needs to control his emotions to get the best out of himself – and suggested he could be an unlikely ally to help him.
“I think he’s just got to be a bit nicer to himself,” said Kygios.
“I’ve said over and over again that he’s had a great season, won Monte Carlo. You look at all the past champions that won Monte Carlo, it’s an amazing accomplishment.
“I think he’s made three quarter-finals this year in the Grand Slams so I think moving into Australia he’s got to be in a good mindset moving forward.
“I mean, I’ll come fly to wherever he is and try to help him out mentally. I think I’ve got that down.”
The notion that one of the most explosive hot-heads in tennis history could be helpful to Rublev brought a smile to his face as he was asked the question about his Turin meltdown ahead of his appearance at the UTS Grand Final in London.
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“When I look at the video now it is embarrassing, it looks very bad,” he admitted.
“For me, it is tough to see those things as well, but everyone fails sometimes. That was my week when I couldn’t manage my emotions and I couldn’t manage the stress that I was having.”
When we quizzed Rublev on how he manages his stress levels going forward, he suggested he is already working on that with his coach and outside help.
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“You work on it every day,” he stated. “There are many things in life that are stressing us out and make us very angry. You can practise how to be calm when you want to explode everything. Then my coach has the psychology lessons.
“I saw that Nick (Kyrgios) offered to help and that made me smile. Nick is a very talented player, one of the most talented players in tennis, so I can say we need him back because he brings a lot of fun to tennis.”
Rublev is taking part in the UTS Grand Final in London this weekend, as Patrick Mouratoglou’s brash and bold version of tennis comes to the English capital for the first time.
A high-energy and fast-paced version of the sport, this is tennis for a new generation and Rublev is happy to be part of the show.
“If I have time in my calendar, I will play more UTS next year,” he added. “You come here for three days, you have amazing organisation, they pay you great money, so this feels like a holiday to be honest.”
