Andrey Rublev suffered a shocking first-round defeat at Wimbledon, becoming the highest men’s seed to exit early.
I don’t know why at that moment, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to let my emotions out
Andrei Rublev
The Russian, seeded sixth, was defeated on No.2 Court 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6(5) by Francisco Comesana of Argentina. Rublev narrowly avoided a fine by venting his frustration on his leg with his racket, drawing blood in the process.
This defeat marks his first opening-round loss at a major since the 2021 French Open and is likely to result in a drop in the rankings, as he reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year.
Rublev acknowledged his struggle with controlling his anger, stating, “It is the main problem I need to improve.”
Reflecting on his behavior, he admitted, “Of course, I didn’t behave as in Paris, but I could still do much better. This is not the way.”
Despite previous incidents of racket slamming and unsportsmanlike behavior, Rublev made a conscious effort to maintain a positive attitude during matches, leading to his title win at the Madrid Open in May.
“The main priority is to be positive during all of the match,” Rublev emphasized.
Explaining his emotional outburst, Rublev expressed, “I would not do it if I was able to hit the racket on the floor. Because we’re not allowed to hit the grass. I don’t know why at that moment, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to let my emotions out.”
When asked if he watches videos of his on-court frustrations, Rublev disclosed that he doesn’t, citing that improvement takes “process and time.”
