Rublev recalls his Madrid title: "Without the doctors, I wouldn't have had the chance to play"
Last year, Andrey Rublev won his second Masters 1000 title at the Madrid tournament. After victories against Facundo Bagnis, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tallon Griekspoor, Carlos Alcaraz, and Taylor Fritz, the Russian went on to defeat Félix Auger-Aliassime in the final (4-6, 7-5, 7-5).
However, the current world No. 8 might never have experienced this triumph, as he faced a major physical issue just before the tournament.
"It was crazy because one day, I woke up and my throat had swollen to twice its size—it was much bigger than usual. It hurt a lot, and it was very hard to swallow and breathe because the space in my throat was so small.
You can’t imagine how horrible my breath smelled. This is still the title I’m most proud of because of the circumstances. I had never faced such a situation in my life—I had never felt so bad.
I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t breathe. And yet, I was able to play. I’m proud because, in the end, how you feel doesn’t matter—it’s all in your head.
I guess when you’re sick, all expectations disappear completely. I told myself I wouldn’t be able to play. In a way, I didn’t feel pressured, and that relief helped me perform.
And then, as I started feeling worse during the tournament, I kept fighting. I was lucky that there were very good doctors in Madrid, and before every match, they gave me painkiller injections. Without the doctors, I wouldn’t have had the chance to play," he told *Relevo*.
Madrid 
