Kamal Ghorui
Andrey Rublev’s opening match at the Monte-Carlo Masters did not go as smoothly as the scoreline might suggest. The former champion struggled with a shoulder issue early in the match but still managed to push through and secure a hard-fought win over Nuno Borges. What stood out more than the result was Rublev’s honest reaction after the match.The Russian player later admitted that the pain was serious enough for him to consider stopping mid-match. Instead, he chose to continue, relying on treatment and painkillers to stay in the contest. His comments have now raised questions about his fitness going deeper into the tournament.
Andrey Rublev fights through pain to beat Nuno Borges but raises injury concerns
The match started with Andrey Rublev looking slightly uncomfortable. Around the middle of the first set, he began to feel pain in his shoulder while serving. Soon after, he took a medical timeout off the court to deal with the issue.Despite the discomfort, Rublev returned and managed to take the first set 6-4. However, things quickly changed in the second set. His movement and timing dropped, and Nuno Borges took advantage, winning it 6-1.At that point, it looked like Rublev might not be able to continue. But he stayed calm and focused on finishing the match. In the deciding set, he suddenly found his rhythm again and closed it out 6-1. Speaking after the match, Rublev openly shared what was going through his mind. He said,“Obviously, I think today was exactly a mental victory for me, because in one moment, I thought, okay, it’s done. And then I was able to kind of, okay, let’s just accept it, let’s just kind of trust.”He added, “In the end, somehow, out of nowhere, I start to feel better. I was able to fight again, to play better, and in the end, I was able to win a match.”Rublev also explained when the pain actually began. He said, “When I came back from the changeover at 4-3, when I went for a serve, I start to feel it a little bit. After the first serve that I did, I start to feel it much more.”Then came the moment that caught everyone’s attention. Talking about how he managed the pain, he said with a laugh, “The body feeling? I don’t know, because I took a horse dose of painkillers and a medical timeout.”Now, there is uncertainty about his next match against Zizou Bergs. Rublev himself admitted he is not sure how his body will react in the coming hours.This is not the first time Rublev has done well in Monte-Carlo. He won the title here in 2023 and has had strong runs in past years. But right now, his main challenge is not his opponent, it is his own fitness.
