On Tuesday, Russian Andrey Rublev hailed the Centre Court fans for their raucous support during his failed attempt to knock out incumbent champion Novak Djokovic. The seventh seed Wimbledon banned Rublev and the other Russian and Belarussian players from the draw last year in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Rublev, who showed his displeasure with his country’s actions immediately after the invasion by writing No War Please on a camera lens at the Dubai Open, said he was taken away by the Wimbledon fans’ support Rublev remarked after losing in four sets that he was “grateful” for the British public’s support, especially given where he is from.
He commented saying “I felt a lot of love and support during these two weeks.” Today is no exception. It’s unique to come from the nation where I am and to have this kind of support. I’m not sure, I sometimes feel like I don’t deserve it or something. I’m not sure how to get it… I’m not sure what you need to do to get this help. This makes me very happy.”
When asked if he felt bad about being Russian, Rublev responded, “No. I don’t feel awful about being Russian. I’m speechless right now. I said a lot of things. In my opinion, I believe, is pretty obvious, thus I am not guilty. It’s more that the situation is dire. You would never wish this on anyone. You want these dreadful things to be over as soon as possible so that everyone on the planet might have a chance at a nice life.”
Andrey Rublev’s comments followed high tensions at Wimbledon
Andrey Rublev’s remarks came after a tense weekend at Wimbledon. After losing to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina on Sunday, Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka was booed off the court by the crowd, who were seemingly unaware that Svitolina had declined their handshake. Unlike other players on last year’s banned list, Rublev received only positive reactions from the fans.
He expressed his gratitude to the event for providing additional support to Ukrainian players participating here, and he also stated that he had received encouragement from fans before to arriving at the Championships. “Being here this year, I felt grateful,” Andrey Rublev remarked on Tuesday. “I’m relieved that I was able to enjoy a fantastic two weeks of tennis. I’m glad that I was able to produce my greatest performance in a quarter-final so far, compared to all of the other quarters that I’ve been in.”
Rublev said, “We’re not guilty,” when asked if Russian players felt bad over President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. It’s more of a serious scenario. “You would never wish this on anyone. You want these dreadful things to be over as soon as possible so that all people on the planet can have a shot at a nice life.”
Players from Russia and Belarus, which served as a staging station for Moscow’s invasion, were permitted back at Wimbledon this year after the WTA and ATP penalized and deducted ranking points from the Lawn Tennis Association. One of the conditions for their return was that the players submit a personal declaration proclaiming their opposition to the war.
In case you missed it:
