"This is not normal"

Rublev: Off to hospital after winning the title

Andrei Rublev(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Tennis ace Andrej Rublev did not let an illness throw him off his stride on his way to winning the title at the ATP Masters tournament in Madrid. "I've been ill for eight or nine days now. It's not normal, it's not really getting any better, which is strange because I'm normally ill for two or three days at most and maybe have a fever, but nothing special," said the 26-year-old Russian. He wanted to go to hospital to clarify the matter.

He was planning to have a thorough check-up. "Because for the first time in my life I feel so bad," emphasized the 16-time ATP tournament winner, who moved up to sixth place in the new world rankings on Monday. But it wasn't just an illness that had hindered him, he had also had an anaesthetic injection for foot problems before the final. "Otherwise I wouldn't even have been able to put my shoe on," explained Rublev, who had started the tournament with little hope due to a poor sporting phase.

"Great level"
None of this prevented him from defeating the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime twice 7:5 in the final of the Madrid Open after losing the first set 4:6 after almost three hours. Rublev triumphed for the second time at Masters 1000 level after Monte Carlo 2023. "I think it's normal to have ups and downs. I played at a great level here from the first match," summarized Rublev. He hoped to be able to compete at the next Masters 1000 event in Rome, where the qualifiers are currently being held.

Andrej Rublev(Bild: AFP)

Jannik Sinner will definitely be missing there. The world number two might also be absent from the French Open in Paris. "I'll only play at Roland Garros if I'm at 100 percent," emphasized the South Tyrolean. Sinner had suffered a hip injury in Madrid, which now requires a longer break than originally assumed. The clay Grand Slam tournament in Paris starts on May 26.