By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday February 25, 2022
Russia’s Andrey Rublev reached the finals at Dubai on Friday, defeating Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in three sets. The seventh-ranked 24-year-old has a lot more on his mind than tennis, however, as he tries to make sense of the fact that as of Thursday morning Russia has invaded Ukraine to create what is now a deepening world crisis.
Rublev, who played doubles and won the title at Marseille last week with Ukrainian Denys Molchanov, says he is all about peace.
“In these moments you realize that my match is not important,” he said. “It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible. Like I said, you realize how important is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that we should be take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing.”
He even took the courageous step of signing the camera "No War Please" after his win on Friday in Dubai.
The tennis community has been banding together in support of Ukraine. Hurkacz left a similar message on his social media on Friday.
Rublev's compatriot also called for peace. On Thursday, after learning that he would become the ATP's 27th No.1-ranked player in history next week, Daniil Medvedev said this:
"By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," the 26-year-old said after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka. "We play in so many different countries. I've been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It's just not easy to hear all this news. I'm all for peace."
After winning his semifinal later in the afternoon in Dubai, Jiri Vesely sent a similar message: "No war."
Rublev says that he gets a lot of comments on social media about the current situation, but in only reinforces his belief that peace is the way forward.
“Of course, I mean, I get some bad comments on Internet because I am Russian, so I get some aggressive comments like not in a good way,” he said. “I mean, I cannot react on them because if I react on them, I'm going to show the same.
“If I want to have peace, I need to be like ‘It doesn't matter.’ Even if they throw rocks to me, I need to show I'm for the peace, I'm not here to be aggressive or something, even if I'm not responsible for something. … I think this is the right way to do at least for me. I don't know how for other people.”