Andrey Rublev’s Mental Transformation Journey at Roland Garros 2025
Andrey Rublev, the world No. 15, has embarked on a profound mental transformation in 2025, following what he described as hitting a “mental dead end” in 2024. After a rollercoaster year marked by severe depression and on-court outbursts, the Russian tennis star is determined to unveil a “new me” at the French Open, where he faced Jannik Sinner in the fourth round on June 2, 2025. Rublev’s candid reflections, shared in interviews with Tennis.com and The Guardian, reveal a player confronting his inner demons while striving for personal and professional growth.[](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/after-hitting-a-mental-dead-end-andrey-rublev-ready-for-transformation-period)[](https://motociclismo.pt/en/andrey-rublev-opens-up-about-mental-health-battle-i-didnt-see-the-reason-for-living-life/)
In 2024, Rublev’s struggles with depression and anxiety reached a critical low, particularly after a first-round Wimbledon loss to Francisco Comesana, where he admitted to The Guardian, “I didn’t see the reason for living life.” His emotional meltdowns, including self-harm incidents at Roland Garros and Dubai, drew concern, with fans on X urging him to seek help. Rublev’s default in Dubai for an outburst against a line umpire and his inconsistent results—winning the Madrid Open but losing four consecutive matches afterward—highlighted his mental turmoil.[](https://motociclismo.pt/en/andrey-rublev-opens-up-about-mental-health-battle-i-didnt-see-the-reason-for-living-life/)[](https://www.tennis.com/baseline/articles/andrey-rublev-talks-depression-burnout-behavior-jannik-sinner-upset-arnaldi-montreal-final)
Guided by former world No. 1 Marat Safin and a psychologist, Rublev began reshaping his mindset. Safin’s mentorship, initially planned for the clay season, proved pivotal, offering perspective to channel his fiery temperament, much like Safin did during his own Grand Slam-winning career. “I stopped all the tablets and Marat Safin helped me a lot with conversation,” Rublev told The Daily Mail, emphasizing Safin’s role in helping him abandon antidepressants. Working with his long-time coach Fernando Vicente, Rublev adopted practices like deep breathing to curb emotional outbursts, a shift evident in his composed 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 Qatar Open win over Jack Draper in February 2025.[](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-14277283/Australian-Open-2025-Andrey-Rublev-depression-mental-health-Marat-Safin.html)[](https://apnews.com/article/andrey-rublev-jack-draper-qatar-open-3d02d1112525b3b470ff90712d748edf)[](https://www.thestar.com/sports/tennis/andrey-rublev-credits-his-mental-approach-after-beating-jack-draper-to-win-the-qatar-open/article_0a60057c-eeef-5b62-90b5-aa7426ac919c.html)
At Roland Garros, Rublev advanced to the fourth round via a walkover from Arthur Fils, setting up a clash with Sinner, whom he trails 3-6 but beat in 2024. “It’s more about myself,” Rublev said, per Tennis.com, focusing on personal growth over results. Despite a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Sinner, his openness about mental health, praised on X by @TheTennisLetter, signals a promising path. As Rublev told the Tennis Weekly Podcast, his 2025 goal is to maintain a healthy mindset, believing “the tennis will take care of itself.”
