“I didn’t even have enough energy to complain” – Andrey Rublev

In a tournament in Madrid notable for its withdrawals, especially among the biggest names on the circuit, perhaps in the end it really was the survival of the fittest.

Well, not quite even that.

After beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in a marathon final, Andrey Rublev confirmed that he was not at his best physically, to the point of coming close to forfeiting several times during his Madrid Open campaign.

“I’ve been sick and I’m still a little sick. It’s been going on for nine days, it’s not normal,” said Rublev.

“I’m not sure if it’s a sore throat or a virus. Tomorrow, I’m going to go to the hospital for more tests,”

Rublev explained that, at the beginning of the tournament, he suffered a fever and sore throat, to the point that he could only eat baby food initially.

“My throat was completely blocked, I couldn’t breathe or eat. A real disaster,” said the world No 6, who was candid about his physical condition.

And then, as if that wasn’t enough, Rublev also suffered from inflammation in his toe during the tournament, which almost forced him to withdraw.

“The toe doubled in size and was pressing on the bone, so I couldn’t even put my foot in the shoe. With all this, the doctors worked miracles. They gave me injections to at least get me on the court, and anesthetized my foot.”

Somehow, Rublev went on to win.

I’M USED TO BEING VERY NEGATIVE ABOUT MYSELF, SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE FELT SO PROUD OF MYSELF

Andrey Rublev

Tennis is a strange sport, where momentum and mentality can shift in the blink of an eye.

“At least it pushed me to refocus on the game and only the game instead of letting my mind wonder,” he continued.

“Outside of matches, I stayed quiet at the hotel. On the court, I didn’t even have the energy to complain, talk or shout ‘come on’.

“What also helped me was that from the first game, I felt like I was playing well, for the first time in weeks. In the end, I’m used to being very negative about myself, so it’s the first time I’ve felt so proud of myself.”

Perhaps, after this win, Rublev will hope to be unwell a little more often.

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