Rublev's lament: "I let Alcaraz win the second set without him doing anything"

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🎾 Andrey Rublev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

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No disappoint today from Andrey Rublev, who managed to push Carlos Alcaraz to the edge, making Carlos rely on patience to figure out how to outplay the Russian. Although Rublev has stepped out of the spotlight months ago, he went head-to-head with Carlitos today at Wimbledon, and if he couldn't do more, it's because the Spaniard managed to expose his weakness, his net game.

The Russian ended the match with a 10/24 at the net. Only 42%. That's where he started losing the match today against Alcaraz because he missed several easy volleys that could have shifted the second set to a high-pressure zone where Carlos could have been in serious trouble. From that point, Alcaraz gained momentum, and when Rublev tried to react, the Murcian had reached a playing level hard to counter.

About the match

It's not easy to talk; it's been a short time since the end. It's been tough. I guess that's the difference between the Top players and me. When I lose a bit of focus, I lose the set. I allowed him to win the second set without doing anything. It was just my errors. Double faults and mistakes one after another. The 5-3 came out of nowhere. I was playing well, and I also had my chances in the third, but couldn't capitalize.

In the third set, same story. I lost my serve due to my own fault. I didn't win the point at 30-all, and I was in a good position to do it. Then, at the break point, he hit an incredible shot. I mentally collapsed in the third because of what happened in the second. He came in with confidence, and I was low on morale. He understood that was the moment to go for the match, and he did.

If he thinks he's too hard on himself

This serves as a lesson to me. I'm learning to be kinder to myself. Today, I managed to stay positive until the end and fight without saying anything negative. I'm learning to be kinder to myself.

Rise in level

My level is there; now it all depends on the details. I don't remember the last time I was at this level. Maybe Madrid, last year. If I can maintain it, something good will come. I don't know what happened for my level to return this week. Perhaps a better mentality or better thoughts.

Key to his great start in the match

I think he didn't start well. Maybe he was nervous or tense. That helped me a bit. I was returning well, but he made several errors, which helped me a lot. Then, in that game, I missed two volleys that I don't recall ever missing in my life. I would say he had more chances than me to win the first set, but I took it. He was able to maintain focus throughout the match without dropping. Only when he served for the match, but the rest... he didn't miss anything. That's the difference between him and me.

On mental health

Everyone has their own path. It has nothing to do with tennis. Everyone has their issues. It doesn't matter if you're an athlete, a businessman, work in an office, or a journalist. Everyone has personal problems. Athletes have a platform, and the generation is changing. In the past, it was all about the image. You showed you were perfect, like a great example. Everyone wanted to be like that. A perfect picture that doesn't exist. Now, with social media, everything has evolved. You see things that are not perfect. Athletes have become more open in that sense.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El lamento de Rublev: "Dejé que Alcaraz ganase el segundo set sin que él hiciera nada"