Abu Dhabi champion Andrey Rublev reveals he has "no problems or symptoms" of COVID-19, says he is ready to fly to Australia
Mubadala World Tennis Championship winner Andrey Rublev has assured his fans that he is in perfect health and isn't experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. The World No. 5 has also revealed that he is busy preparing for the Australian Open for which he will be departing on December 27.
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship, a high-profile exhibition event, has been in the news for the past few days following an outbreak of COVID-19 cases among players who went to Abu Dhabi. Rafael Nadal, Emma Raducanu, Belinda Bencic and women's champion Ons Jabeur have all tested positive for the virus, and there is a possibility of more players getting affected.
In a recent interview with the Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) on Instagram, Rublev has allayed the fears of his fans by announcing he is fully fit.
"I feel good, there are no problems or symptoms, I feel great," the Russian said. "I am currently training, preparing. I will fly to Australia on December 27."
Andrey Rublev to play doubles with Denys Molchanov at the Australian Open
While Andrey Rublev is primarily a singles player, he does occasionally play doubles. The Russian has two titles to his name, the most recent of which came alongside Aslan Karatsev at Doha earlier this year.
The 24-year-old is on the men's doubles entry list for the 2022 Australian Open, where he will be teaming up with the 93rd-ranked Denys Molchanov.
Australian Open men’s doubles entry list https://t.co/Tu9iZhATrZ
On being asked by RTF about the partnership, Rublev said that he and Molchanov go a long way back. With the Ukrainian needing a higher-ranked player to get into the Melbourne Major, the World No. 5 came to his rescue.
"I have known Denis for a long time," he said. "It so happened that he can get to the Grand Slam tournaments in doubles only with players with high ratings. It was very important for him to get to the "Grand Slam", we talked about this with him for a long time.
"But recent years have passed in a difficult epidemiological environment, with many restrictions," he added. "He was afraid to risk someone testing positive. Now it has become a little easier, and we showed up together at the Australian Open."
Andrey Rublev will next be seen in action at the ATP Cup, which gets underway in Sydney on January 1. He will be leading Russia's charge alongside US Open champion Daniil Medvedev as they seek to defend the title they won this year.