- Andrei Rublev talks about his low point
- Reveals that great tennis has helped him immensely
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Russian tennis star Andrei Rublev has opened up about his mental health struggles and revealed that advice from former world number 1 has helped him turn his life around more than taking antidepressants.
The top 10 player in the world has no fewer than sixteen titles to his name, but is unfortunately better known to many fans for his emotional outbursts on the field.
Rublev admitted in Melbourne this week that his infamous meltdown at Wimbledon, where he hit himself several times with his own racket last July, was the low point.
“That was the worst moment I ever had about myself. It wasn’t about tennis,” Rublev said The Guardian.
‘It had to do with myself, as if after that moment I no longer see the reason for living. For what?
“This sounds a little too dramatic, but the thoughts in my head were destroying me, causing me a lot of anxiety, and I couldn’t handle this anymore.
Andrei Rublev says he ‘didn’t see the reason for living’ after his breakdown at Wimbledon last July when he repeatedly hit himself with his racket
The volatile Russian says he is now in a much better place when it comes to mental health
‘I’m starting to get a bit bipolar. I don’t know if you can put it that way. But the one who made that start is me.
‘Now I feel better. I can see the things that happened.”
Rublev revealed that his compatriot, tennis great Marat Safin, helped him on his mental health journey, encouraging him to seek a psychologist.
“A few things have changed since Wimbledon,” he said.
‘I was taking antidepressants and that didn’t help at all. Finally I said, “I don’t want to take anything anymore.” I stopped taking all tablets and Marat Safin helped me a lot with talking.
‘He made me realize many things and then I started working with a psychologist.
“I’m learning a lot about myself and even though I don’t feel in a happy mood or the happy place I want to be, I don’t feel that crazy anxiety and stress anymore because I don’t understand what to do with my life.”
Rublev was quick to add that his decision not to take medication may not be the right one for others suffering from depression.
Rublev said tennis great Marat Safin (pictured left) has been very important in his recovery
Rublev (pictured in practice ahead of this week’s Australian Open) says he now feels ashamed watching footage of his emotional breakdowns
“You can have everything in life: a healthy family, all the material things, the healthiest relationship, but if something happens to yourself that you don’t want to see, you will never be happy,” he said.
“If you find it and accept it, you will feel better and better.”
The Russian says he is in a much better place now and is embarrassed when he sees clips of his meltdowns.
“At first, of course, I felt bad and ashamed because I’m not that kind of person,” he said.
‘It’s not nice to see. Now that I understand myself better, I’m more relaxed about it. I’m in a much better place.’
“When I see those videos, it’s like I was in a past life. It’s not me anymore.’