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Despite kickstarting the 2023 season with an early exit from Adelaide International 1, Andrey Rublev showed his class when he made a memorable young fan's day with a special gift.
Playing in the first tournament of the year, the Russian crashed out of the Adelaide event after losing to Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round.
In a video that has surfaced online, a dejected Rublev, while on his way out, can be seen giving his racquet to a young boy who was eager to just get an autograph. Upon receiving the unexpected gift, the video pans out to the fan who looked ecstatic with his new possession.
How did Andrey Rublev fare in the 2022 season?
With four ATP singles titles, Andrey Rublev had an impressive 2022 season. Following a poor outing at the Australian Open, the Russian played some of his best tennis as he reached at least the semifinals of the next four tournaments, winning two.
At the Rotterdam Open, Rublev lost 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2 to Felix-Auger Aliassime in the semifinals. He bounced back immediately at the Marseille Open, defeating the Canadian 7-5, 7-6(4) in the final to clinch the title. The 25-year-old's win streak extended to the Dubai Open, where he beat Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-4 in the final to emerge victorious.
The World No. 8 continued his impressive form at the Indian Wells Masters. He beat the likes of Frances Tiafoe, Hubert Hurkacz and Grigor Dimitrov to reach the semifinals, where he lost to Taylor Fritz. At the Miami Masters and Monte Carlo Masters that followed, he could not make his mark.
He turned things around at the Serbian Open, defeating home favorite Novak Djokovic in the summit clash to win the title. He made it to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters and French Open, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas and Marin Cilic respectively.
At the US Open, Andrey Rublev made a quarterfinal exit following a 7-6(3), 7-6, 6-4 defeat to Frances Tiafoe. The Russian won his fourth and final title of the season in Spain when he triumphed at the Gijon Open. Rublev's impressive season also saw him qualify for the ATP Tour Finals, where he lost to Casper Ruud in the semifinals.
