There was a point last year where Andrey Rublev got sick of feeling “completely lost”.
It was a feeling that had been haunting him for many years, and it got him stuck in a vicious cycle of constantly questioning himself and the meaning of life.
“I was just kind of in a loop, lost with myself for a couple of years of not finding the way, not understanding what to do, what for?
"It sounds a bit dramatic or whatever, but like what’s the reason or purpose to live? Just completely lost with myself,” revealed Rublev on Monday ahead of the start of his Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships opener.
“And the thing is, it was not ... One thing is when it's happening one month, two months, three months, okay, maybe you still have patience or something.
"But when it's happening one year, two years, three years, four years, five, and it's coming for many, many years, in one moment it's like you cannot take it anymore.”
Rublev likened it to a small pain in his hand that kept spreading to a wider and wider area. “Then it's like you want to cut the arm and that's it,” he added.
The Russian world No 9 said he took antidepressants for a year but then still did not like the way he was feeling and stopped taking them.
Following his first-round exit at Wimbledon last July, he received help from an unlikely source, Russian former world No 1 Marat Safin, who reached out to Rublev’s team – his coaches are old friends of Safin – and offered to talk to his younger compatriot.
“With the help of Marat, he kind of made me understand myself or look at myself, and that was a bit of a restart from rock bottom and from there at least I was able little by little to start to move in a better direction and now I'm moving little by little in this better direction,” said the 27-year-old Rublev.
“I'm not happy, I'm not in a good or bad place, but I'm not feeling any more stress, I'm not feeling anxious, I'm not having depression. I'm just neutral, not happy, not bad, but at least I found the base and that's like a beginning.”
Around that same period of his conversation with Safin last summer, Rublev started writing the word ‘responsibility’ on different parts of his body or his kit before stepping on court for a match.
More recently, he’s been writing it on his shoe, which is a move inspired by Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry.
“I was watching one of the videos from Steph Curry where he was explaining what helps him before the match to be in a good mood or be ready for the game to do some throws or some sprints. And then he said that he's writing before the game on the shoes some words that motivate him. That mean a lot to him,” explained Rublev.
“And I said, okay, that's a really good option to write it on a shoe because you see it every time you put the shoe on.
"You see it when you look down and it doesn't go away and it's easy to write there. And so I started to do it. And this word, I don't know, is something that triggers me in a good way.”
Rublev believes the word ‘responsibility’ holds him accountable to his actions and also stops him from blaming bad luck or other people’s actions for his own circumstances.
“In the end, it doesn't matter what happened in your life, it's only your fault, no one else’s, you cannot blame anything, or anyone, and I guess this is to remind myself to not complain,” he added.
Rublev believes the first step he took on his healing journey was to be honest with himself – something he believes most people struggle with.
“I also was lying to myself about many things, and I didn't even want to understand or notice them, so it's probably you need someone who can make you see yourself in an honest way,” he said.
On Saturday in Dubai, 17-year-old champion Mirra Andreeva wrapped up her victory speech on centre court by thanking herself.
“Last but not least, I would like to thank me. I know what I have been dealing with so I want to thank me for always believing in me, I want to thank me for never quitting and always dealing with the pressure,” said the Russian teenager.
“Today it was not easy but I chose to be there 100 per cent, so I thank myself for that.”
Rublev laughed when Andreeva’s speech came up and said he really liked what she said. Is he able to see himself in the same way and value his own effort and journey?
“Before impossible, now yes,” he says.
Rublev arrives in Dubai fresh off a title run in Doha, where he defeated British world No 16 Jack Draper in a three-set final on Saturday.
Seeded No 3 in Dubai, Rublev will open his campaign on Tuesday against French qualifier Quentin Halys.
It will be Rublev’s first appearance on centre court in Dubai since his stunning disqualification during last year’s semi-finals, where he screamed in the face of a line judge over a disputed call.
That incident is long forgotten for Rublev, who took full responsibility for his actions before choosing to move on.
“It’s all forgotten. I didn't think about it until you asked now,” said Rublev, who was Dubai champion in 2022.
“I hope, yeah, it's all forgotten. To be honest, I don't know if it sounds good or bad, but it didn't bother me. I was not sleeping in nightmares or something like that, you know? Or having fears to go to play matches, no.
“Things happen sometimes. Sometimes you cross the line and they punish you, fair. Sometimes maybe you don't do anything and they punish you, not fair. Sometimes maybe you cross the line and no one realises and no one punishes you. So, it's life.”
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Turkish Ladies
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
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Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
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THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
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Torque: 520Nm
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
