Andrey Rublev, who is currently in Spain competing at the Gijon Open, has spoken out against Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
The conflict between the two countries began on February 24 when Russia began making inroads into Ukrainian territory. Since then, both countries have been embroiled in a war that has claimed many lives and caught the world's attention.
At a press conference at the Gijon Open, Rublev was asked about the conflict that his country has had with Ukraine.
“Of course it is hard and horrible to hear what is happening. As I have always said before, the most important thing is that there is peace in all parts of the world. From my position, the only thing I can do is try to show this through tennis, in interviews and on the court," Andrey Rublev said, according to AS.
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Andrey Rublev begins Gijon Open campaign with clash against Ilya Ivashka
Andrey Rublev will get his Gijon Open campaign underway on Thursday when he takes on Ilya Ivashka in the Round of 16.
Rublev entered the tournament on the back of a semifinal finish at the Astana Open, where he beat the likes of Laslo Djere, Zhang Zhizhen and Adrian Mannarino before losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
At the Gijon Open, the Russian is the top seed. However, he is not expecting an easy ride against Ivashka. Rublev leads 2-0 in the head-to-head against the Belarusian, with both their previous encounters coming at the St. Petersburg Open in 2019 and 2021.
"We know each other very well, because we are close friends and it will be a tough match. Now every tournament is important to me. We are going to see what happens, but as there are many players fighting to be in Turin (in the ATP Finals), each match is really important," he said.
Though he is the top seed in the tournament, Rublev stated that he does not believe that it guarantees him victory at the event.
"I don't usually think like that. Of course I would like to lift the trophy here and anywhere. But you can't win everything and everyone every week. I don't know if I can this time, because there are very good players. What I have to do is be focused on trying to give my best, fighting until the last point and then if somehow I win, perfect, I will be very happy. But if I lose the first match or another day, I will be disappointed, but I will try to continue working to do better next week," he stated.
