Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published on Sunday, 16 November 2025 21:37 / Updated on Monday, 17 November 2025 00:01
Andrey Rublev (28 years old), one of the most famous tennis players in the world, spoke openly in an interview for The Guardian about the hardest months of his life. At the age of 27, the Russian admits that he faced severe depression, anxiety attacks, episodes in which he no longer saw any meaning in life.
Rublev says he's feeling better now, but he still hasn't reached the balance he wants:
“I feel a lot better. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I finally have a base.
Six months ago I was living the worst time of my life.”
The tennis player faced depression: “I no longer saw a reason to live”
It all started after the shock elimination at Wimbledon in the first round against the Argentine Francisco Comesana (ranked 122 ATP at the time):
“After Wimbledon, I no longer had a reason to live. It sounds dramatic, but the thoughts in my head were killing me.
It was no longer about tennis. It was about me. I couldn't take it anymore.”
Self-mutilation on the field and pills that didn't help him
Rublev had also attracted media attention for his self-destructive behavior during matches, repeatedly hitting himself in the head or legs with the racket.
In the interview, he admitted that it was a manifestation of the mental problems that had, in fact, overwhelmed him:
“I took anti-depressant pills and they didn't help me at all. I finally said, 'I'm not taking anything.'”
Marat Safin, former world leader, played an important role in his healing process, after guiding him to therapy:
“Safin helped me understand a lot of things. Then I also started working with a psychologist. I'm learning a lot about myself.”
You can have everything in life, healthy family, money, good relationships, but if inside there is something you refuse to see, you will not be happy.
If you find and accept the problem, you will feel better and better.”
The Russian spoke about the dream of a Grand Slam: “It will not change my life”
Even though he has spent more than 220 weeks in the top 10 and has 10 Grand Slam quarterfinals, Rublev has yet to reach a semifinal. It's still a goal, but it sees things differently:
“I won't lie, I want to win a Grand Slam. It's my dream. But if I won it, would it change my life?
Not. I would only feel relief, but it wouldn't make me any happier.”
