Andrey Rublev Rubs Shoulders With Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as Madrid Glory Takes Him to an Elite Territory

Andrey Rublev proved to be a titan at the sweltering Madrid Open, overcoming both sickness and the odds to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime and win the highly sought-after championship. With this victory, he became the third ATP tennis player to win both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open in his career. The Russian tennis player’s triumph went beyond mere recognition, as he made his mark on tennis history and became the newest member of an elite group of champions with his decisive win in Madrid.

Last year, the 26-year-old Russian tennis player won his first ATP title, defeating Holger Rune at the Monte Carlo finals. While he has only won two Masters titles, both of them have helped him create part of tennis history. Following in the footsteps of tennis greats Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev’s victory at the Madrid Open places him in the elite club.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has an outstanding record of 16 titles between Madrid and Monte Carlo, with 5 in the latter and 11 in the former. Currently ranked number one in the world, Djokovic’s supremacy goes beyond simple victories, with two Monte Carlo victories.

He has made numerous deep runs in Monte Carlo over the years, including two final appearances and numerous semifinal and quarterfinal berths, which have further cemented his image as a clay-court virtuoso. Evidently, the 24-time Grand Slam winner has won the Madrid Open three times. But even with his stellar record, he has only competed in the competition once since winning his final championship at the Caja Magica in 2019.

However, winning the Madrid Open was not an easy run for the 26-year-old tennis star. The 6th-ranked tennis player was suffering from a fever and even had to return to the hospital after playing in the finals and winning the title.

Andrey Rublev triumphed despite being unwell

The resilient 26-year-old Russian showed his resiliency by overcoming illness and an early setback to earn victory, despite struggling with health difficulties that dogged him throughout the event. In a press conference, he stated, “I’m still sick and tomorrow I think I’ll go back to the hospital for a full check-up to know exactly what’s going on. I’ve been sick for eight or nine days now, it’s not normal, I’m not really getting better, which is strange because usually I get sick for two or three days at the most and maybe a fever, but nothing special.”

The sixth seed acknowledged the intensity of his physical fight and that he required an anesthetic in order to compete in the final, which was a credit to his willpower. He described the need for the procedure, describing how swelling from an inflammation in his foot finger had put pressure on the bone and made it uncomfortable to even wear his shoe.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Rublev’s Madrid Open achievement? Do let us know in the comment section below.