Sky sports pundits noticed something concerning about Andrey Rublev as they discussed his struggles both on and off court.
The eighth seed has endured an indifferent season in terms of results, and one of his biggest challenges is being able to control his emotions on court.
This is something Andrey Rublev has had difficulty with over the past year, and has had multiple outbursts during matches, which sparked cause for concern.
The Russian puts plenty of pressure on himself during his matches and the magnitude of the occasion gets the better of him.
What did Sky Sports commentators say about Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals?
Rublev has spoken openly about managing his emotions better on court and has regular meetings with a sports psychologist to help him.
But it is still a work in progress and being well mentally and emotionally is just as important as being physically ready to play professional sport.
It appears Rublev was struggling with the former at the ATP Finals as Sky Sports commentator Gigi Salmon commented on what she saw from him before his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.
“When I saw Andrey Rublev earlier he looked really down,” she said. “People were hugging him and I saw someone telling him it was going to be okay.”
Former British number one Tim Henman shared his perspective, adding: “He has been very honest about some of his mental challenges and he is out there and gives absolutely everything but you just feel the emotions are bubbling under the surface and he is struggling to control it.
“Any time you qualify for these tour ending champions you have had a fantastic year. It hasn’t gone his way so far but I’m sure he will be keen to get a win in his last match.”
Can Andrey Rublev still reach the last four at the ATP Finals?
Rublev’s hopes of qualifying for the next stage of the ATP Finals are all but over after losing his first two round robin matches.
Rublev was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Alexander Zverev on Monday, before Carlos Alcaraz prevailed 6-3, 7-6(8) on Wednesday.
Rublev reached the season-ending championships for the second fifth successive year. But for the second year in a row, he will not reach the semi-finals.
His best result came in 2022, when he reached the last four and lost 6-2, 6-4 to Casper Ruud, who still has a chance of making that stage in 2024.
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