(VIDEO) "Bring more people to the world of tennis and should be treated better": Andrey Rublev uses Jannik Sinner example in damning Paris verdict

Andrey Rublev has echoed criticism of scheduling that caused Jannik Sinner to withdraw from the 2023 Paris Masters, as both players begin their campaigns at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin.

Prior to the ATP Finals, World No. 5 Rublev made it to the semi-finals in Paris-Bercy last week, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka, Botic van de Zandschulp, and Alex de Minaur before being ousted by eventual champion and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. However, he found himself as the second-highest seed left in the competition after the early defeats of World No. 2 and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, followed by the withdrawal of fourth seed Sinner.

This withdrawal was a result of the tournament's scheduling. Sinner defeated Mackenzie McDonald in a three-set battle that went on until 2:37 am. However, after finding out his Round of 16 clash with de Minaur would take place at 5 pm on the same day, giving him insufficient time to rest and recover, he pulled out of the match.

During media day at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Rublev shared his thoughts on the scheduling in Paris. The 26-year-old was elected as a representative of the Player Advisory Council earlier this year. He briefly commented on the problem of changing balls between tournaments before going on to talk about the scheduling issues.

"They are working on the problem of the balls. The same goes for the programming. There is talk of a rule according to which if you start the program at 11:00 (local time - ed.) in the morning, you cannot have more than five matches on the same field. In Paris-Bercy there were six matches.

"They are also trying to understand how to organize the evening sessions, because it is not easy in a Masters 1000 when you have to return to the field the next day. In Grand Slam tournaments it's a little simpler: after the match you have a free day. The hope is that next year they will fix some of these things. Because it's not nice that a tennis player and an incredible person like Jannik, who everyone wants to see compete, can't play.

"It would have been great for tennis and for everyone if he had played the round of 16 in Paris. When you finish late, it's tough physically. I understand this completely, because I've been in the same situation. The best players, like me and Jannik, bring more people to the world of tennis and should be treated better."

Rublev will face Medvedev in his first Group Stage match in Turin today, November 13, after Sinner defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opening clash 6-4, 6-4. The Italian player will take on defending champion Djokovic next.