Andrey Rublev has successfully appealed his default from the Dubai Tennis Championships, allowing him to maintain both the ranking points and prize money he earned during the tournament. The default occurred when a Russian-speaking official seemingly accused him of using an obscenity while expressing frustration towards a line judge during his semi-final match against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik on Friday. The incident generated significant discussion on tennis Twitter and faced criticism from some players within the tennis community.
Rublev trailed 6-5 in the decisive set during the match and argued with the line judge when he believed the call went against him. As he continued to argue, the line judge pointed toward the chair umpire and accused him of swearing at him in Russian. Rublev denied saying anything offensive, and the ATP disqualified him from the match.
The ATP then ruled that Rublev was guilty of a third code of conduct offense and defaulted him from the tournament without having the player undergo an entire appeals process. ATP supervisor Roland Herfel informed the player that his time in Dubai was over.
Rublev’s saga has spotlighted how tennis punishes players for their conduct, with some players calling for VAR and electronic appeal systems to be used at major tournaments. The Russian has been known for his fiery temperament on the court, smashing his racquet and screaming at fans and photographers in the past, but this was one of the most extreme incidents yet.
On Sunday, the PTPA, representing the game’s professional players, came out in support of Rublev. “So you can disqualify a player and remove all his points and prize money without checking the video? What a joke. It’s yet another confirmation we need VAR in tennis and an electronic appeal system,” PTPA president Lolita Lazarenko wrote on Instagram.
The ATP has now reviewed the appeal, taking into account testimonies from the player and the officials involved and reviewing all available video footage. The ATP has found that the alleged offense was severe but that the full sanction of forfeiting his match and losing rankings points and prize money would have been “disproportionate in this case.” It was instead decided to disqualify the Russian from the match but reinstate his ranking points and prize money.
