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via Reuters

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Remember when World No.14 Andrey Rublev lost his temperament two years ago at the ATP Finals against Carlos Alcaraz? The Russian star was so frustrated after losing the match against the six-time slam winner that he ended up smashing his racket on himself. In the process, he hurt his knee, leaving it bleeding. It appears the former world No.5 still hasn’t mastered anger management. He unleashed his fury once again at the Shanghai Masters this time.

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On Saturday, Rublev faced Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round of the ATP 1000 Masters event in Shanghai. After snatching the first set, Rublev was touted to win the match eventually. However, Nishioka, ranked 173rd in the world, had other plans. He came back in the second set to level the fight before pulling off an upset over Rublev. He beat him 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. Then came the moment of the customary handshake at the net. Just after greeting his opponent, Rublev had an anger outburst that sent the racket smashing against the pole of the net.

This loss will hurt Rublev more given the fact that he has had a decent record at Shanghai Masters in the past. For the uninitiated, the Russian has been a finalist at the ATP 1000 tournament. During the 2023 edition, he reached the summit clash but missed out on the trophy. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz beat him in a thrilling decider.

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Unsurprisingly, Andrey Rublev’s on-court antics have been going on for a while now. So the current incident is nothing new for tennis fans. Last season at the Paris Masters, he hit himself with the racket in the first round, against Francisco Cerundolo. He left his knee bleeding.

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This year, back in February, he won his maiden ATP title of 2025 at the Qatar Open. Following which, it seemed like he would tone down the on-court aggression in subsequent events. However, the lack of consistency has been the main cause of him losing control again and again. His last best performance came back in May when he reached the summit clash of the Hamburg Open.

However, he couldn’t win the trophy against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. In recent months, he has resumed showing his furious side in most of the on-court appearances. Take for example this season’s US Open edition.

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When Andrey Rublev’s aggression cost him $3,000 at the US Open

Back in August, Andrey Rublev faced American ATP pro Tristan Boyer in the second round in New York. Although he won this match, the former World No.5 was still seen giving glimpses of his aggressive personality.

During this battle, Rublev was seen using foul language due to which he was fined $3,000. However, he couldn’t understand the reason behind the amount of fine. “When you are talking to yourself in a bad way, it’s my decision how I do it,” he told during the press conference as reported by Daily Mail on August 31. “You cannot, in my opinion, you cannot charge for this.”

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Continuing with his reaction, he added, “If you talk to the referee or umpire with bad words, yes, like when you do it towards someone or you scream on all courts, yes, obviously. But when you talk to yourself, it’s your decision how you talk.”

This year’s US Open, however, isn’t the only time he was handed a significant amount of fine. During the 2022 French Open, Rublev received a penalty of $8,000 for smashing a ball against a courtside chair after it bounced up and knocked the hat off a groundsman who was present near the court. It appears someone needs to stop Rublev, sooner than later, for his own good.

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