Andrey Rublev almost lost a testicle at the US Open

Andrey Rublev is known for his fiery demeanor on the tennis court. The 26-year-old often lets his anger out and throws tantrums during games.

But off the field, Rublev is relaxed and fun. He even joked about a very serious medical shock he suffered during the 2024 US Open. Earlier today, Rublev told the story while speaking to the media before his match at the Stockholm Open.

He laughed: “I don’t know what to call it smart, but I can call it funny. I almost lost the ball.”

Shortly after his loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16 of the US Open, Rublev felt pain in one of his testicles. “I was lucky. I don’t know why I said, ‘Let’s go to the hospital just to see why I have a funny feeling.'”

When he arrived at the hospital, doctors told him it would be another “five to six hours” before the blood stopped flowing, leading to amputation. Rublev underwent emergency surgery less than four hours after he first felt pain.

Rublev said with a laugh, “I’m lucky and everything is great.” One of the last things he remembers before the procedure was signing a document allowing doctors to amputate his testicle if medically necessary.

Rublev did not share an exact medical diagnosis, but was certainly honest when discussing the highly personal matter with the media.

Following his surgery on September 1, Rublev was expected to miss the entire Asian swing of the ATP schedule. He was unable to compete in the Hangzhou Open, but surprisingly returned in time to compete in the China Open and Shanghai Masters.

Rublev is currently ranked No. 7 in the ATP world rankings (40-21) and has won two titles this season. He lost to Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open today. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated Serve on SI for all important sports news.