Shanghai 2023 - "No, it's not your fault": Rublev's fair play during his match against Dimitrov
On October 14, 2023, in Shanghai, during the intense semifinal duel between Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev, spectators witnessed a truly noble gesture from the Russian player.
With the match hanging in the balance and every point fiercely contested, an unexpected moment occurred. On a serve by Rublev (at 3-2 in the first set tie-break), an obvious let, which normally should have resulted in the point being replayed, went unnoticed by the umpire. Dimitrov, caught off guard, lost the rally. Rublev, for his part, raised his arms... but not to celebrate.
A few seconds later, Rublev approached Dimitrov and the umpire, suggesting they replay the point. "No, it's not your fault," he said to his opponent, with a sincere, almost apologetic look in his eyes.
Later, even though the match didn't turn in the Bulgarian's favor (defeat 7-6, 6-3), he made sure to highlight his opponent's sportsmanship during the press conference:
"He had no obligation to do that. That kind of gesture shows who he is. That's why I respect Andrey."
