Andrey Rublev says his behaviour in his third-round French Open loss, where he slammed a racquet on court and on his knee, was the worst it has been at a Grand Slam.
The sixth seed lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 6-4 against world number 35 Matteo Arnaldi of Italy.
Rublev showed signs of agitation at the end of the first set and was warned by the umpire after throwing his racquet into the clay.
The Russian shouted at his team after being broken in the second set and bounced his racquet on the court between Arnaldi serves, drawing ironic cheers from the crowd.
The 26-year-old also hit his knee with his racquet in the third set after kicking his chair on several occasions.
“I was completely disappointed with myself with the way I behaved, the way I performed, and I don’t remember behaving worse in a slam ever,” Rublev said.
“I think it was the first time I have ever behaved that badly.”
Rublev is a 10-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist but has never gone beyond that stage.
He was defaulted in Dubai for unsportsmanlike conduct three months ago but made a conscious effort to control his on-court demeanor on his way to the Madrid Open title in May.
“I feel in some moments it is tough to be kind to myself,” he said.
“Of course if I was able, I’m sure that those moments will never happen.”
Arnaldi will face ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece next.
‘Almost the worst we have seen Rublev’
Rublev started well, trading breaks with Arnaldi before narrowly losing out in a tie-break.
His frustrations then started to bubble over as his concentration and performance levels began to drop significantly.
Rublev was also seen flexing his knee after slamming the strings of his racquet on it numerous times as Arnaldi closed in on victory.
Former British number one Annabel Croft described it as “tough to witness”.
“He’s such a fun and charming character off the court. You don’t recognise this character, who is so tormented,” she told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
“When you see a guy whacking his leg with such physical anger and venom, that’s not good for us to even witness.
“It’s not about him growing up and maturing, but ultimately, tennis is a sport. It’s not the be all and end all.
“He needs to somehow find some perspective with what he’s trying to do.” [BBC]
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
