Jimmy Connors gives his strong verdict on Andrey Rublev’s dramatic Dubai disqualification

Ewan West 05 Mar 2024 10:47 AM

Andrey Rublev was disqualified in Dubai

Tennis legend Jimmy Connors has issued a passionate defence of Andrey Rublev after the Russian’s stunning disqualification for shouting at a line judge at the Dubai Championships.

The former world No 1 questioned what was wrong with players “getting heated” on court and argued Rublev’s “voice” had been taken away by him not receiving a warning or lesser penalty.

Rublev was disqualified while trailing 5-6 in the third set of his Dubai semi-final encounter with Alexander Bublik last week after angrily complaining to a line judge.

The world No 5 was exasperated at the line judge for not calling a Bublik shot out as he lost the game and was then defaulted after another official claimed to the umpire that Rublev had sworn at his colleague. Rublev denied he had been speaking in Russian or sworn, with Bublik backing him up.

The 26-year-old has been fined $36,000 and was initially stripped of the ranking points he had earned during the ATP 500 tournament, but this punishment was overturned after he appealed.

READ MORE: Seven active players who have been defaulted in men’s tennis as Andrey Rublev joins Novak Djokovic on the list

Speaking on his Advantage Connors podcast, eight-time Grand Slam champion Connors took issue with the punishment handed to Rublev and argued strongly in the Russian’s favour.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with getting heated? What’s wrong with that? You’re putting everything that you have into what you’re doing, you know, which is trying to win a tennis match against an opponent who’s trying to kick your a** at the same time,” Connors declared.

“What’s wrong with feeling that? And understanding that? And wanting more from yourself and understanding you’re out there breaking your a**, and trying to give everything that you have?

“[To] default them, you know, not give them a warning, not give them a point penalty, but just saying, ‘You’re done’… I’m passionate about this, only because they’ve taken away the voice of a player.

“They’ve totally taken his voice away, you know, to where he has to go and conform to whatever has been thrown at him. You know, ‘the ball was out’, I can’t question it… you can’t question that, you just gotta go along with that.

“That’s what it’s come down to, where is there to go but in reverse? If you’re bringing guys, ‘I’m gonna snitch on you, you better not say anything, I want to tell on you.’ Jesus Christ, that’s back in the second grade! The hell’s going on here?

“These guys are out there playing their a** off for three hours, 6-5 in the third set, and you got somebody coming out of the stands saying… oh my god!

“Connors, [John] McEnroe, [Ilie] Nastase, [Vitas] Gerulaitis, let me go through the list of guys who would’ve never made it through the tournament!

“Get rid of that line-calling thing and let these guys argue their own way and understand what it means to hit a great shot, be rewarded for it, or hit a great shot, know that it’s good, and be screwed too. Oh my god! They’re taking all the excitement and the crowd appeal, bringing the crowd down too.”