The 25-year-old Russian was annoyed by a pair of supporters who unfurled the Ukrainian flag in the audience. However, the native of Moscow emphasized that it was not the flag of the state against which soldiers from his country are waging a brutal war of conquest, but the words of the incriminated duo of fans that bothered him.
“It wasn’t about the flag. I immediately told the referee that the flag didn’t bother me at all. Those fans can take out whatever flag they want, I don’t care. I completely understand the situation,” explained Rublyov at the press conference.
Russia’s Rublev Heckled by Flag-waving Ukrainian Fans
Ukrainian fans tried to disrupt the second round match between Russia’s fifth seed Andrey Rublev & Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori at the Australian Open by waving their nation’s flag and apparently hurling “bad words” at him. pic.twitter.com/jmgTzWH7LI
— Aklilu (@Aklilu_1973) January 19, 2023
“The point was that they started yelling pretty ugly words and nasty things at me. I told the referee: It’s not about the flag, but can you please tell them not to shout those things at me during the change of sides,” added the Russian tennis player.
At the same time, Rublev has so far presented himself rather reservedly towards Putin’s military aggression. In the spring after the start of the invasion, for example, he wrote “no war” into the camera lens at a tournament in Dubai.
The organizers have already completely banned the Russian and Belarusian flags at Melbourne Park after the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia complained about the waving of the Russian flag at the match of Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Baindlova against Russia’s Kamila Rachimova.
