Andrey Rublev meltdown at Wimbledon: Russian star throws tantrum, hits self with racket repeatedly

Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev couldn’t keep his cool after losing a point against Francisco Comesana on Tuesday in the first round at Wimbledon. Not a stranger to on-court meltdowns, Rublev hit himself with his racket repeatedly after the point concluded. His actions caused quite a scene and brought into question his occasionally inappropriate demeanor during competition. 

Rublev was not penalized for his tantrum, and the game continued as normal. Unfortunately, his momentum was shot early in the third set when he broke down and he failed to turn it around, becoming the highest seed eliminated on the men’s side so far. The Sporting News has more details on Rublev’s meltdown following his early exit from Wimbledon.

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Andrey Rublev Wimbledon meltdown

In the fourth game of the third set, with the match tied at one set apiece, Comesana broke Rublev’s serve to go up 4-1. This elicited a violent reaction from the Russian in which he hit himself with his racket seven times.

I think Rublev needs to see a sports psychologist. This happens far too often, and it’s pretty excessive. pic.twitter.com/oneqavULmK

— Bill Cooney (@BillCooney) July 2, 2024

Rublev couldn’t come back after that despite pushing the fourth and final set to a tie-break. The tennis star told reporters after the game that the only reason he didn’t hit the racket on the ground, rather than hitting himself, was because he was “not allowed to hit them with the grass,” likely not to cause damage to the grass court.

He also told reporters, “I don’t know why in that moment, I couldn’t take it any more. I needed to let emotions out…This is not the way. Of course, it’s the main priority, to be able during all the match to be positive.”

This isn’t the first time Rublev has gone off the rails during a match. In late May at Roland Garros, he had a fit in his loss to Italian pro Matteo Arnaldi where he also smashed his racket into his knee—and the ground—as well as kicked a metal bench and screamed in frustration.

It was an afternoon to forget for Andrey Rublev at Roland-Garros 😬💥#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/U0ou2C16Ca

— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 31, 2024

Andrey Rublev vs. Francisco Comesana results

Rublev failed to overcome his frustrations against Comesana, who is ranked 122nd in the world to Rublev’s sixth. Comesana took the first round matchup 3-1 after a dramatic fourth set tie-break sealed the win. 

MORE: Where to watch 2024 Wimbledon

Andrey Rublev ATP ranking

The Russian national came into Wimbledon as the No. 6 player in the world and is the highest-eliminated seed in the tournament so far. Here are the top ten players on the ATP tour and their respective rankings:

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