I Virtually Misplaced My Ball

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, October 18, 2024Photo credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty

New balls please was as soon as an ATP slogan.

Not too long ago, it was a really scary chance for Andrey Rublev.

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Talking to the media on the Stockholm Open, Rublev shared the well being scare he suffered within the aftermath of a bodily five-set US Open loss to Grigor Dimitrov final month.

In each male athlete’s worst nightmare, Rublev suffered testicle trauma.

Or as Rublev bluntly put it: “I virtually misplaced my ball.”

The reigning Madrid champion felt ache in his testicle following that five-set US Open loss.

Luckily, Rublev went to the hospital for therapy the place he confronted a terrifying prospect: Testicular amputation.

“Now I really feel excellent, every thing went effectively,” Rublev instructed the media in Stockholm. “I do not know the way to name it in a sensible method however I can name it in a humorous method.

“I virtually misplaced my ball. I used to be tremendous fortunate as a result of they are saying you will have solely 5 – 6 hours if the blood stops going there after which it is amputation. I used to be fortunate. I do not know why I stated, ‘let’s go to hospital simply to test why I really feel a bizarre feeling’.

“They checked immediately and so they took me as an emergency to do the surgical procedure after which they had been capable of do the surgical procedure in three or 4 hours after the primary feeling I felt. So that they had been capable of do every thing good and ultimately every thing is nice.”

World No. 7 Rublev now has the bounce again in his step, however shared it was practically a complete new ball recreation.

The final reminiscence Rublev had earlier than anesthesia kicked in was signing a launch type allowing medical doctors to carry out a testicle amputation if needed. That terrifying actuality would possibly scare some stiff, however Rublev trusted the method and the medical crew and stated he feels wholesome now.

“The very last thing earlier than they made me sleep, I signed the paper saying they had been allowed to amputate my ball,” Rublev recalled. “That was the very last thing earlier than the surgical procedure that I noticed.”

Thirty-nine year-old Stan Wawrinka bounced the top-seeded Rublev out of the Stockholm Open right now, 7-6, 7-6, to turn out to be the oldest semifinal in event historical past.

Nonetheless, Rublev is relieved to be again on courtroom with physique and thoughts intact.