"Andrey Rublev can't be doing this; disturbing"- Journalist advocates for code violation after Russian's 'self-inflicted violence' in Wimbledon loss

Andrey Rublev's erratic behavior on court was strongly criticized by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg. The Russian had a moment of self-inflicted violence during his first round match at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

Rublev was seeded sixth in this year's edition of the grass-court Major. He began his campaign by going up against Argentine Francisco Comesana in the first round but lost the match 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-7(5). This loss marked the World No. 6's first opening-round exit at Wimbledon.

However, what captured the attention of the tennis world during the match was Andrey Rublev's outburst on the court. In the midst of the third set, the Russian lost his temper after losing a point and began repeatedly bashing his knee with his racket.

This self-harming behavior did not sit well with tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, who took to social media to express his disapproval . Rothenberg called for code violations for unsportsmanlike conduct and urged Rublev to cease his erratic behavior on the court, as it was disturbing for fans to witness.

"This needs to be a code violation, even under the general unsportsmanlike conduct umbrella. Rublev can’t be doing this, if for no other reason that it’s disturbing for fans to watch. #Wimbledon 🍓 ," Rothenberg posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Rothenberg also stated that Andrey Rublev's display of "frantic self-inflicted violence" did not align with the standards of "sportsmanlike behavior."

"Whatever the definition of sportsmanlike behavior is, which is of course a nebulous concept, I definitely don’t think it includes a display of frantic self-inflicted violence like that," Rothenberg posted.

This incident was not the first time Andrey Rublev had displayed erratic behavior on the court. Earlier in the year, he was disqualified from his semifinal match at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships for screaming and allegedly name-calling a line judge.

Then at the French Open, Rublev again had an emotional outburst where he screamed, hit his knee with a racket in frustration, and even broke several rackets in anger after losing the first two sets during the third round match.

Before commencing his Wimbledon campaign, while starting his grass-court swing, the World No.6 had participated in the 2024 Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, where he lost his first-round match against American Marcos Giron. Once again, in the match, Rublev had lost his composure, as he screamed and smashed his racket on the court.

Andrey Rublev on his outbursts: "The problem is the head"

Andrey Rublev at the 2024 French Open

While speaking at the post match press conference, following his outburst on the court during his third round match at the 2024 French Open, Andrey Rublev had addressed his outburst on the court. He stated that he was disappointed in his behavior and admitted that he could not recall a Grand Slam- where he had behaved as poorly.

"Nothing. Completely disappointed with myself the way I behaved, the way I performed, and I don't remember behaving worse on a Slam ever. I think it was the first time I ever behaved that bad. Not much to say," Andrey Rublev said.

Rublev attributed his outburst to his "concentration" being fickle which sometimes leads to erratic behavior on the court.

"I think it's not about concentration. I think it's because the way I behave, I put myself completely down. The problem is the head, that today basically I kill myself and that's it," he added.

Following his disastrous Wimbledon exit, Andrey Rublev is next scheduled to compete at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden.