In the wake of Jannik Sinner’s triumph over Andrey Rublev at the 2024 Australian Open, tennis enthusiasts found themselves engaged in a heartfelt discussion. Sinner secured a spot in his first Australian Open semifinal by defeating Rublev 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3 in a riveting clash lasting two hours and 39 minutes.
Despite Rublev’s effort, Sinner maintained his composure, especially during a crucial moment in the second set tiebreak where he rallied from a 1-5 deficit to win 7-5. The Italian’s resilience paved the way for his smooth progression to the semifinals without dropping a set.
For Rublev, this loss marked a disheartening milestone as it was his tenth defeat in Grand Slam quarterfinals, resulting in an unfortunate 0-10 record in Major quarterfinals. Despite his promising career, he has been unable to secure any Grand Slam semifinal appearances to date.
Posts from the tennis
community on Reddit
The aftermath of this quarterfinal revealed a distressing scene in the locker room. In a state of deep anguish, Rublev was captured engaging in a solo conversation while pedaling a standing cycle. The video of Rublev talking to himself quickly circulated on social media, prompting various reactions from fans.
Comment
byu/BelgianBond from discussion
intennis
A puzzled fan had wondered if Rublev was speaking to someone, likening the situation to a movie scene where it seemed like two characters were in dialogue, only to realize it was one person hallucinating.
Comment
byu/BelgianBond from discussion
intennis
Another fan took to social media, urging, “Someone give that man a hug,” expressing genuine concern for Rublev’s emotional state in post his heartwrenching defeat. The peculiar scene of Rublev talking to himself left fans contemplating the lonely side of a tennis player’s journey.
Andrey Rublev extends his infamous record at Grand Slams
In the ongoing saga of Andrey Rublev’s Grand Slam journey, his struggles in the quarterfinals have become a recurring theme. The 25-year-old and currently the world no. 5, once hailed as a promising young player, first reached the quarterfinal stage 6 years ago at the age of 19. Despite a recent surge that saw him reach the quarterfinals in four of the last five Majors, Rublev’s record remains disheartening.
After his recent loss in the 2024 Australian Open, he has become the first male player in tennis history to lose his initial 10 Major quarterfinal matches. The next in the list is Spain’s Tommy Robredo who lost his first 7 quarterfinal matches in Grand Slams.
As for Andrey Rublev, it’s a record-extending 10th loss in his first ten Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Better not be inside himself right now 😬
📸 @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/q9y2A9DOXr
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) January 23, 2024
From Rublev’s first defeat against Rafael Nadal at the 2017 US Open (then world no. 1) to the recent loss to world no. 4 Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Australian Open, Rublev has faced a series of formidable opponents, each time falling short of securing a spot in the semifinals.
Notably, his last two losses to Daniil Medvedev in the 2023 US Open and Sinner this year at AO 2024 have come in straight sets, which further highlights his struggles at this stage while competing with his more accomplished rivals. These persistent losses have left Rublev’s fans pondering whether this talented player will ever manage to break free from the quarterfinal curse that has cast a shadow over his otherwise promising career.