Andrey Rublev makes brutally honest comments as he reveals his mental torment

The tennis world has looked in on Andrey Rublev’s agonies with a large helping of concern.

Players losing their temper on court tends to be a highlight for social media feeds who delight in their anguish, but it has felt a little different with Rublev over the last couple of years and now we know why.

Rublev’s habit of smashing his racket into his thigh in a fit of anger has seen him draw blood on his own flesh, but he seems incapable of controlling the rage that builds inside him when he steps on court.

Speak to those who work with Rublev and they will confirm he is a charming character when he is taken away from the heat of a tennis battle, but he clearly struggles to contain himself when the umpire calls play and the frustrations of the game overwhelm him.

Rublev’s remarkable achievement of winning the Madrid Masters title earlier this year when he later admitted he was close to being hospitalized due to illness highlighted his fighting qualities.

That’s certainly a result that would have been profitable for anyone backing him with any sports betting companies, but it was a rare highlight in a season dominated by disappointing defeats that tend to be preceded by emotional meltdowns.

Rublev has enjoyed a return to form at the Toronto Masters, with his win against world No 1 Jannik Sinner a highlight as he reached another Masters 1000 final.

Amid his joy in Canada, Rublev has already revealed the depth of his struggles, in comments that highlight his pain.

“I feel great and I’m happy to have won both matches today,” said Rublev after he beat Sinner.

“For me it’s a special moment because I was struggling for many months. So I guess, I need that match to feel that I’m playing well, that I’m able to show good results.

“Mentally I was out of order (in recent months). I guess it was already a long moment of everything (getting to him) and I started to burn out, because I was struggling for many years with depression, with many things outside of the court.

“I guess this year it’s when I can’t handle it anymore, and it starts to just explode. It started to explode more and more on the court, because in life I was able to stay calm but inside the court I was burning everything.”

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Tennis365 spoke exclusively to Rublev at last year’s UTS Grand Final in London, as he gave is an insight into his challenges.

We asked him how he felt when he saw footage of his on-court meltdowns and he offered this response: “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.

“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.”

Rublev will hope his improved mental health and positive results in Canada is a sign of what is to come as he counts down to the US Open.