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Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev doesn’t like the reasoning behind the $3,000 fine he received during his second-round match at the U.S. Open.
Rublev, ranked No. 15 in men’s singles, was fined for using foul language during his match against American Tristan Boyer.
But in the heat of competition, Rublev doesn’t feel he should be docked thousands because of his words.
“Depends on the situation,” he said, per The New York Post, before winning his third-round match in five sets on Saturday. “When you are talking to yourself in a bad way, it’s my decision how I do it. You cannot, in my opinion, you cannot charge for this. If you talk to the referee or umpire with bad words, yes, like when you do it towards someone or you scream on all courts, yes, obviously. But when you talk to yourself, it’s your decision how you talk. It doesn’t matter even if the umpire hears what you are saying or not for this. I don’t think so.”
Rublev added that “in all of sports” it is a normal occurrence for expletives to be said, especially “in the crucial moments.”
“It’s sports. It’s life,” he continued. “The same with every person outside in life in crucial moments, in stressful moments. I don’t believe all of us are super holy and never say bad words in the crucial moments. It’s the same thing…like I said if you’re doing it towards someone or you’re doing it too much openly, yes, but with yourself, it’s your decision how you talk.”
Rublev isn’t the only Russian who was fined this year at the U.S. Open. Daniil Medvedev’s widely publicized rant in his first-round upset to Benjamin Bonzi resulted in a $42,500 fine.
Medvedev exploded after the chair umpire allowed Bonzi another first serve when a photographer walked across the court during play. Medvedev didn’t like that Bonzi had another first serve on what was match point in the third set.
Rublev, the godfather of Medvedev’s children, offered support to his compatriot after that incident made headlines.
“If he wants to change and needs help he has me, a lot of other friends and family that will help him,” Rublev said.
Rublev was able to take down Coleman Wong in a thrilling five-set third-round match on Saturday. Rublev lost the first set, 6-2, before taking the next two, 6-4, 6-3. Wong came back with a fourth-set victory, 6-4, before Rublev took the fifth set, 6-3, to move on in the tournament.
Rublev will take on Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 25th-ranked men’s singles player, in the Round of 16 on Monday.
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