Tennis pundit Annabel Croft shared her thoughts on Andrey Rublev’s French Open meltdown.
Fans and members of the media were left stunned as the Russian’s frustrations boiled over in an explosive manner during Friday’s third round match.
This did not help his tennis as Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi proceeded to complete a shock 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-4 win.
He has progressed to the fourth round of Roland Garros for the first time in his career where he will play 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
What did Annabel Croft say about Andrey Rublev?
Croft is one of many who have shared their thoughts on Rublev’s actions on court Suzanne Lenglen. His outbursts have left many questioning whether he will be able to get control of his emotions when things are not going his way.
While Croft described the meltdown as “tough to witness”, she explained that the Russian is a very different character away from the court.
“He’s such a fun and charming character off the court. You don’t recognise this character, who is so tormented,” she told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
“When you see a guy whacking his leg with such physical anger and venom, that’s not good for us to even witness.
“It’s not about him growing up and maturing, but ultimately, tennis is a sport. It’s not the be all and end all. He needs to somehow find some perspective with what he’s trying to do.”
What did Andrey Rublev say about his actions at Roland Garros?
Rublev was seen yelling at both himself and his box during his first career defeat to Arnaldi. The sixth seed became more agitated when things did not go his way and he slammed his racket to the ground.
He was not done there as he kicked his chair multiple times, argued with the chair umpire over a line call and even smacked the racket against his own knee.
Post-match the player expressed disappointment with his actions. “Completely disappointed with the way I behaved, the way I performed,” he said.
“I think it was the first time I ever behaved that bad. “The problem is the head, that today basically I kill myself, and that’s it.”
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