Rublev overcomes fever and praises doctors after winning Madrid Open for the 1st time
MADRID (AP) — Despite sleepless nights struggling with a fever, Andrey Rublev found a way to fight back and win the Madrid Open for the first time.
Rublev was feeling sick all week but rallied to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets on Sunday and clinch his second Masters 1000 title.
Rublev won 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 after Auger-Aliassime double-faulted on the last point of the final at the clay-court tournament in the Spanish capital.
“I would say this is the most proud title of my career,” Rublev said. “I was almost dead every day. I was not sleeping at night. The last three, four days I didn’t sleep.”
Rublev gave “full credit to the doctors,” who were “doing some tricky things” just to make sure he could play.
“I have no words,” the eighth-ranked Rublev said. “If you knew what I had been through in the past nine days you would not imagine that I would be able to win a title.”