Andrey Rublev talked in length about his struggles with anxiety and depression ahead of his first-round match against Joao Fonseca at the Australian Open. Rublev, who has often hurt himself with rackets during tense moments in matches, revealed the time he reached a low point in his life.

Last year, Rublev made headlines for flying into a rage and smashing his racket against his knees. At Wimbledon, during his four-set defeat to Francisco Comesana in the first round, he suffered from a complete meltdown as he injured his knee by hitting it with his racket.

But since Wimbledon, Rublev started to take anti-depression pills but in the end, it was no help at all. Conversation with compatriot and two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin helped him a lot and then Rublev started to work with a psychologist. Since then, although he’s not in a ‘happy place’, he doesn’t deal with high levels of stress and anxiety.

Andrey Rublev is the only player who beat Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner last year. At the Grand Slam events, Rublev reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, the third round of the French Open, and the fourth round at the US Open.

Rublev has never made it to the semifinal of a Major and even if he wins a title, though it will give him a ‘good relief’, it won’t make him ‘more or less happy’.

Rublev is close to compatriot Daniil Medvedev and is also the godfather of the 2020 US Open winner’s daughter. When asked in the interview if he discusses mental health with Medvedev, he said the former World No.1 was ‘really crazy’ when he started to play, but consistent performance, particularly in Grand Slam events, made him ‘super calm’.