Andrey Rublev was visibly disappointed not only by losing at Roland Garros but also by how he behaved on the court.
The Russian has been quite notorious for his various outbursts over the years, with the Dubai one being at the forefront. It’s pretty well known, and he knows it, too. More importantly, he knows the issues, especially after the outrage the Dubai one created.
He barely escaped severe punishment in that one, and it left a mark on him. His tennis suffered in the weeks after that until he turned it around in Madrid. Losing early at Roland Garros was obviously disappointing for Rublev, but he was also disappointed by his behaviour.
Numerous instances of his losing his cool occurred, some of which you can see on our website. It’s not a good look, and he understands that, but he has yet to really change it.
Completely disappointed with myself the way I behaved, the way I performed, and I don’t remember behaving worse on a slams ever. I think it was the first time I ever behaved that bad.
Rublev never regained his cool or focus in the match as Arnaldi cruised after winning a tight opening set. He was asked whether it was due to him not being focused enough due to his outbursts, but he said it’s actually him putting himself down which causes the drop in level, not so much a lack of focus
It makes sense because you do kind of put yourself in a bad place, which is evident in the self-destructive behaviour that follows.
I think it’s not about concentration. I think it’s because the way I behave I put myself completely down, and I give Matteo wings to fly, and he was flying in the third set unbelievable. It was too late to do something.