Tennis: "Marat Safin helped me understand myself," says Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev has struggled to control his emotions at times during matches and his angry outbursts have clouded his game, but the 27-year-old Russian showed his best side in winning the Doha tournament last week (beating Britain's Jack Draper in the final).

Rublev, who returned to Dubai this week after being disqualified in the 2024 semi-finals (against Kazakhstan's Alexander) after shouting at a line judge, said he had moved on from that incident and other issues that had weakened him. "I was in a loop, lost with myself for a few years, I don't know, I couldn't find the way, I didn't understand what to do, what was the point. It can seem a bit dramatic, like wondering what is the reason or the purpose of life, or things like that. It's one thing when it happens for a month, two months, three months. You may still have some patience... When it goes on for several years, you can't take it anymore," Rublev told The National newspaper.

Rublev said he took antidepressants for a year but stopped them when they no longer helped. Things began to change last July after he spoke with fellow countryman Marat Safin, who retired in 2009. Former world number one Safin was no stranger to tantrums, having smashed dozens of rackets on court during his career. “He helped me understand myself,” Rublev said. “It was like a restart. I was able to gradually start moving in a better direction. I’m not happy. I’m not good or bad, but I don’t feel more stressed, I’m not anxious, I’m not depressed. I’m just neutral. At least I found a base. It’s a start.”

Rublev will open his campaign in Dubai against French qualifier Quentin Halys.