Andrey Rublev’s outspoken view on the Paris Olympics women’s boxing controversy has sparked disapproval among tennis fans. In a situation where Italy’s Angela Carini received significant backing after forfeiting her match against Algeria’s Imane Khelif just 46 seconds in, Rublev also expressed his support for Carini.
On Thursday, August 2, Carini opted not to continue her match against Khelif after the Algerian landed two powerful blows, which Carini later claimed were the hardest she had ever experienced in her boxing career.
The controversy surrounding Khelif involves a failed gender eligibility test from the 2023 World Championships, which showed that Khelif had XY chromosomes. Carini is believed to have sustained a broken nose from Khelif’s punches.
In response to these controversial events, World No. 8 Andrey Rublev shared his perspective on the matter via his Instagram Story. The Russian tennis player voiced his frustration over Khelif being permitted to compete in this year’s Olympics and expressed his sympathy for Carini.
“Now at the biggest and most important sport event <<Olympic Games>> we see live how a man who identifies as a woman is hitting a woman (saying it’s equal rights boxing) and no one’s stopping this. If a man would identify himself as a kid, would they let him compete at a kids boxing tournament? This is something I’ll never understand. I feel really sorry for the Italian athlete who was preparing for a long time for this moment,” read a part of Rublev’s now-deleted post.
Many fans on X (formerly Twitter) criticized Rublev for his post, arguing that he is not in a position to offer such opinions due to his friendship with Alexander Zverev. Zverev’s personal life has faced significant scrutiny recently, particularly regarding two separate domestic violence allegations. One of these cases led to a widely covered trial earlier this year, which was ultimately settled out of court.
“How can he say that when he’s best friends with Zverev? Where is the shame??? and Imane Khelif is not trans!” a fan wrote.
Another group of fans questioned how Rublev could make such judgments, citing his own struggles with mental stability on the tennis court. Rublev has faced criticism in the past for incidents where he self-harmed with his racquet during and after losses.
“Says the guy that smashes rackets on his head every match. Great example,” wrote a fan.
“Rublev, whose mental state is questionable, finally decided to mock another person instead of knowing the truth first, and seeking professional help is comical. Lost all my respect!” another fan weighed in.
“I already started liking him less and less, but it’s still sad he fuels the hate with even more misinformation,” commented another fan.