Andrey Rublev felt 'completely lost' after struggling with mental health, now in 'better direction'
Published 25/02/2025 at 10:50 GMT
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Andrey Rublev has revealed he has been struggling with depression in recent years, with the world No. 9 saying it has left him feeling "completely lost". The Russian player has opened up ahead of his appearance at the Dubai Tennis Championships and shared how compatriot Marat Safin has proved to be a great support. Rublev enters the tournament on the back of winning the Qatar Open.
Andrey Rublev
Image credit: Getty Images
World No. 9 Andrey Rublev has opened up on his mental health struggles, revealing he is heading in a "better direction" having previously felt "completely lost".
The Russian has been a consistent top performer in the sport in recent years, finishing in the world’s top 10 for the last four seasons.
However, away from the court, Rublev has been fighting against depression.
Speaking ahead of playing at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Rublev told The National: "I was just kind of in a loop, lost with myself for a couple of years of not finding the way, not understanding what to do, what for.
"It sounds a bit dramatic or whatever, but like what’s the reason or purpose to live? Just completely lost with myself.
"One thing is when it's happening one month, two months, three months, okay, maybe you still have patience or something.
"But when it's happening one year, two years, three years, four years, five, and it's coming for many, many years, in one moment it's like you cannot take it anymore."
Rublev has revealed he was taking antidepressants for a year but stopped when he felt like they were not helping him any more.
He did find help, though, from an unexpected source in former world No. 1 and compatriot Marat Safin.
The pair spent time chatting about how Rublev was feeling and the newly crowned Qatar Open champion found great comfort in their relationship.
Rublev continued: "With the help of Marat, he kind of made me understand myself or look at myself, and that was a bit of a restart from rock bottom.
"From there at least I was able little by little to start to move in a better direction and now I'm moving little by little in this better direction.
"I'm not happy, I'm not in a good or bad place, but I'm not feeling any more stress, I'm not feeling anxious, I'm not having depression. I'm just neutral, not happy, not bad, but at least I found the base and that's like a beginning."
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'The racquet pays the price' - Rublev frustrations boil over in crucial tie-break
Video credit: TNT Sports
Rublev has also taken inspiration from Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry, who writes messages on his shoes to help inspire him when he takes to the basketball court.
Curry has revealed he etches ‘413’ onto his footwear, which relates to a bible passage the NBA star finds significant to him.
Rublev liked the concept introduced by Curry and has adopted it for himself, writing the word ‘responsibility’ on his trainers.
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"You see it when you look down and it doesn't go away and it's easy to write there. And so I started to do it. And this word, I don't know, is something that triggers me in a good way," Rublev said.
"In the end, it doesn't matter what happened in your life, it's only your fault, no one else’s, you cannot blame anything, or anyone, and I guess this is to remind myself to not complain."
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