Andrey Rublev shrugged off concerns about his health by staging a marathon comeback to win the Madrid Open on Sunday.
The Russian world No.8 looked far from his best early on in his final showdown against Felix Auger-Aliassime before fighting back to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, after almost three hours of play. In what was a rollercoaster battle, Rublev dropped serve twice but could only convert three out of his 11 break point opportunities. Furthermore, he hit 25 winners against 26 unforced errors.
Shortly after winning the tournament, Rublev shed light on his recent health struggles for the first time when speaking to Sky Tennis. He had been struggling with throat inflammation and received injections to help treat the issue. During this period, he was eating ‘baby food’ due to the pain. Then he suffered from inflammation in his finger and feet which also required treatment. The exact illness or issue he has been suffering from is yet to be diagnosed.
“There are no words. If you knew what I have been through the last nine days you would not imagine that I would be able to win a title,” the new champion told Tennis TV.
“I was (considering withdrawing from the tournament) because there were a few issues that I couldn’t fix but I have to give full credit to the doctors. They are magic because they were doing some tricky things and somehow I was able to play at least.
“I have never seen this in my life. They are the best so far in all the tournaments I have played in.”
After losing four out of the first five games played, a slow starting Rublev gradually got his momentum back. Following the first set, the match was a case of fine margins with the Russian coming out on top when it mattered. Leading 6-5 in the second frame, a deep return forced Auger-Aliassime to produce an unforced error which enabled him to draw level in the match. Then in the deciding set, with no breaks of serves after 11 games played, Rublev pounced once again by winning a gut-busting rally to set up championship point which he converted at the expense of a double fault from his opponent.
“This is the proudest title of my career,” said Rublev who was on a four-match losing run coming into Madrid.
“I was almost dead every day. I wasn’t sleeping the last three, four days.”
Rublev’s triumph means Canada’s wait for a first Masters 1000 champion goes on. At one stage in the match, Auger-Aliassime was just a game away from the title in what had been a bizarre event for him. Earlier in the tournament, the 23-year-old won two matches via retirement against Jakub Menšík in the third round and Jiri Lehecka in the semi-finals. Between those encounters, he received a walkover in the quarter-finals following the withdrawal of top seed Jannik Sinner. Despite his unorthodox run, Aliassime also produced a straight-sets win over Casper Ruud which is his first win over a top-10 player on clay since 2021.
“I know it’s very disappointing to lose the match like this. I know the feeling. I’ve said this many times and I won’t be tired to say it again. You’re a true inspiration to me as a player, for the spectators and kids, how professional and humble you are.” Rublev said in tribute to Auger-Aliassime.
“How nice of a person you are. I just want to wish you all the best and that you always have great people around you and that they treat you well. Hope you’ll have much more success together.”
Rublev has become only the fifth active player to have won multiple ATP Masters events on clay. Overall, he has won 16 titles on the ATP Tour and will now rise to No.6 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday. He has won more Masters 1000 titles than Marin Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, David Ferrer, Grigor Dimitrov and Tomas Berdych.
The 26-year-old is set to undergo a medical assessment on Monday following his recent health problems. It is unclear if he still intends to play in Rome.
