Andrey Rublev, last season, showed evident personal discomfort by physically projecting himself onto the court with excessive reactions. For example, during the Paris Rolex Masters, the Russian hurt himself by repeatedly hitting his leg with his racket.
We tend to underestimate a very important concept too often: athletes are human beings and not robots ready to compete in any circumstance without having to deal with their emotions.
The Russian champion, talked about the complicated battle he is fighting against depression: a fight he is trying to win with the help of the people close to him and thanks to the support of expert figures.
Revealing in an interview with the Guardian how after Wimbledon – last year – he experienced his worst moment and explaining how he couldn’t find a reason to live.
“I’m feeling much better. I’m still not where I want to be, but I finally have a foundation to stand on. Six months ago I went through the worst moment of my life. It was after Wimbledon. That was the worst moment I had to deal with myself.
It had nothing to do with tennis. It had to do with me, I couldn’t find a reason to live life anymore. Why? It sounds a bit dramatic, but the thoughts in my head were killing me, creating a lot of anxiety. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Now I feel better,” he said honestly.
Rublev© Instagram Andrey Rublev/fair use
“I was taking pills for depression, but they didn’t help at all. I said to myself: I don’t want to take anything anymore. So I stopped. Marat Safin helped me a lot and made me understand a lot of things.
Then I started working with a psychologist. I learned a lot about myself. Even when I’m not in a good mood or not in the happy place I want to be, I no longer feel that crazy anxiety of not knowing what to do with my life.
You can have everything in life – a healthy family, material things, a healthier relationship – but if there’s something wrong with you, you’ll never be happy. I won’t lie and say I don’t want to win a Slam.
It’s my dream and I’ll do everything I can to make it happen. But if I won a Slam, I don’t think my life would change. It wouldn’t make me happier or less happy,” explained the Russian.
Tennis World USA