"No one from my team expected me to be here": Andrey Rublev reveals going through surgery after US Open

Russia’s tennis star Andrey Rublev has revealed that he had to underwent a surgery just after the US Open. The 26-year-old is often regarded as one of the most talented players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category.

Rublev is currently taking part in the China Open, where he booked his place in round 16 after beating Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta with a score of 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. Talking after the match, the Moscow-born star revealed that he had to undergo surgery after the US Open. He also stated that the primary reason behind looking rusty in the contest was because he was coming into the competition on the back of having a lengthy bed rest following the injury.

"Pablo started to play a little bit better, and obviously, you cannot play like I did in the first set. I had a chance at the beginning of the second set, but I didn't make it,” he said. “Then we were equal, and in some moments I started to miss. That was the difference in the second set. In the third set, he was a bit more pumped. He had a bit more chance than me, but I was able to fight to be there, and then I lost two games; I played really well. It was not even that I was off. I didn't know if I would be able to play in China because of some issues that I had. In the beginning, they were telling me there was no chance to play in China—one month in bed—but everything went well, the surgery went well. They told me after the surgery that I might likely be in Shanghai. No one from my team expected me to be here."

Rublev is set to face another Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round of 16 clash on Sunday. The 25-year-old defeated Zhang Zhizhen in the tournament opener with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.