Andrey Rublev’s remarkable season has been marked by both triumph and adversity. After capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid, the Russian faced a life-threatening health scare that nearly prevented him from competing in Asia.
Rublev underwent surgery just days before his scheduled departure for China, where he was set to play in Hangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai. Doctors initially informed him that he would be unable to play in China due to the severity of his condition, which required a month of recovery time.
However, Rublev defied the odds and made a remarkable return to action in Beijing, where he defeated Pablo Carreno Busta and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to reach the quarterfinals. Despite his impressive performance, Rublev admitted that he is still not fully fit and is hoping to regain his fitness through match play.
The surgery was performed to prevent the amputation of an unspecified limb, Rublev revealed. He was fortunate that the issue was identified within the first few hours, as amputation would have been necessary after five or six hours.
Rublev’s health scare is his second major setback this season. In Madrid, he was hospitalized with inflammation in his throat and a swollen toe, which turned out to be a tonsillar abscess that restricted his airways.
Despite these challenges, Rublev remains determined to finish the season strong. He is currently ranked No. 7 in the Race to Turin and is hoping to qualify for the ATP Finals.
