March 04, (THE WILL)- Russian tennis star, Andrey Rublev, has been granted a reprieve by the ATP after his unsportsmanlike conduct at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Despite being defaulted from the tournament, Rublev will retain the ranking points and prize money he earned, following a successful appeal.
The incident occurred during Rublev’s semi-final match against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik on Friday. Rublev was defaulted by the chair umpire after a Russian-speaking official appeared to accuse him of using an obscenity while yelling at the line judge. At the time of the default, Bublik was leading 6-7, 7-6, 6-5.
In a statement on Monday, the ATP said, “The appeals committee concluded that, beyond forfeiting the match, customary penalties associated with a default – namely loss of rankings points and prize money for the entire tournament – would be disproportionate in this case.” The decision was reached after considering testimonies from players and officials and reviewing video and audio material.
Interestingly, Bublik had expressed his willingness to continue the match despite being awarded the win. He ultimately lost the final against France’s Ugo Humbert. While Rublev’s fine of $36,400 for the code violation remains in place, the retention of his points and prize money is a significant relief for the Russian player.
The ATP’s decision to overturn the loss of Rublev’s rankings points and prize money has been viewed as a lenient stance on unsportsmanlike conduct. It remains to be seen if this sets a precedent for future cases or if it is a one-off decision based on the specific circumstances of Rublev’s situation.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
