Andrey Rublev says an incident during his second round match at the Australian Open on Thursday had nothing to do with the presence of a Ukrainian flag.
The fifth seed battled to a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3, win over Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori to seal his place in the last 32. During one change of ends in the match, two fans sitting directly behind the player’s chairs pulled out and were waving a Ukrainian flag which is allowed. However, Rublev said those fans were saying ‘bad words’ towards him and spoke to the referee to ask them to stop.
“I said straightaway to the referee, it’s not about the flag, they can put any flag they want, I understand completely the situation,” Rublev told journalist Simon Cambers.
“It was more that they started to tell me bad words and bad things. I said to the referee ‘it’s not about the flag, but please can you tell them at least to not say bad words when I’m on the changeover.”
Flags have been a hot topic at this year’s Australian Open amid the ongoing war in Ukraine which began on February 24th last year. During a first round clash between Kateryna Baindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova, a Russian flag was seen being waved by a fan in the crowd. Something which prompted condemnation from the Ukrainians with their country’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, calling for a neutral flag policy to be followed.
The following day Tennis Australia announced that fans will no longer be allowed to bring the Russian or the Belarusian flag to the site of the Australian Open. Belarus is accused of supporting Russia in the war. As it currently stands, players from these two countries are only allowed to participate on the Tour under a neutral status.
Just days after the Russian invasion, Rublev was one of the first players from his country to make a peace gesture by writing ‘no war’ on the camera lens following one of his matches at a Dubai tournament. Earlier this week, the world No.6 reiterated that he has no regrets about his actions.
“It was just in the moment, because they gave me a marker,” Rublev said.
“Everything [had] started [with the war] and everybody was in a really bad mood and everybody was like depressive because was just beginning, first days.
“It was like a shocking news so, I don’t know, it comes natural.”
Rublev will play Great Britain’s Dan Evans in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.