Andrey Rublev’s French Open journey took a dramatic turn in the third round, marked by intense emotions and a struggle against Matteo Arnaldi. Ranked No. 6 globally, Rublev faced a daunting challenge as he fell two sets behind, visibly expressing his frustration with a loud scream after being broken by Arnaldi in the second set.

With the score at 5-2 against him, Rublev’s outburst escalated—he smashed his racket and kicked his bench, directing his frustrations towards his box. Despite the raw display of emotion, Arnaldi maintained his dominance, clinching the second set 6-2 and pushing Rublev towards a potential upset.

The match’s tension mounted earlier as Rublev, known for his competitive spirit, battled fiercely against the 35th-ranked opponent on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Losing a tight first set in a tiebreak, Rublev’s frustration surfaced audibly when he fell behind in the second set, underscoring the high stakes and pressure of Grand Slam competition.

And things got worse when he was broken again, giving Arnaldi a chance to serve for the second. The Russian bent over and smashed his racket in the clay before turning to face his team and shouting.

Rublev’s outburst didn’t stop there, as he skulked over to his bench for the changeover and kicked the base of it several times, receiving a code violation.

The 26-year-old looked lost as he sat down and buried his head. And Arnaldi took full advantage of his opponent’s emotional reaction, serving out the second set with ease.

But the fans were still backing Rublev, chanting his name in between sets as his opponent left the court for a comfort break.

It’s not the first time the 16-time title winner has unleashed his frustrations on the court, as he often lets his emotions get the better of him. In Dubai this year, he was defaulted during his semi-final against Alexander Bublik.