The ATP Finals has a ritual of kickstarting the tournament with an iconic photoshoot including all participants. Since the 2019 edition of the year-end event, the organizers have instructed the players to dress in match attire or casual clothing. But the tradition of donning suits has been reestablished and Andrey Rublev was one of the players putting the entire tennis community on notice with his choice of jacket.
Rublev hasn’t been in great form, failing to advance past any of the tournaments that he participated in since mid-August. Additionally, he’s also had more frequent on-court outbursts that are resulting in pundits and enthusiasts showing no faith in his chances to win the prestigious title.
But the Russian star wasn’t the butt of all jokes for his on-court antics. Instead, the 27-year-old was applauded for putting on an Armani jacket. Rublev, who is often seen wearing oversized and comfortable streetwear, donned a $3,100-worth double-breasted jacket in cashmere and silk chevron-motif jacquard.
Andrey Rublev at ATP Finals, Nov 2024
Giorgio Armani @armani FW24 ‘Upton’ double-breasted jacket in cashmere and silk chevron-motif jacquard (€2900)
Diego Puletto pic.twitter.com/DBnHt51gnl
— off-court outfit intrigue (@nontennisfits) November 7, 2024
Fans were left impressed as the Moscow native looked dressed up for the occasion.
Wearing an Italian brand in Turin could also be beneficial with a potential boost in the support he receives throughout the tournament from the crowd. One might believe that Rublev could’ve also been endorsed by Armani had he not been associated with two clothing brands – “Rublo” & “K-Swiss” – already.
Apart from Rublev, even Alex de Minaur and Jannik Sinner are receiving love for their respective attires. But as a group, the ATP stars have been criticized, especially when compared to the photoshoots of their female counterparts.
Rublev’s look not enough for fans to prefer WTA Finals photoshoot over ATP Finals one
The WTA Finals 2024 began this past weekend and the official photoshoot for the same left social media in a frenzy. Elena Rybakina and Qinwen Zheng were the highlights of the buzz event, being praised for their model-esque poses from the photoshoot.
Side-by-side comparisons of the two year-end tournaments’ official photoshoots make it quite evident that the WTA stars’ pictures were much more attractive.
Tennis enthusiasts hope that the ATP Finals can compensate by providing an entertaining event. The tournament is set to kickstart with a contest between Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz on Sunday. Interested fans can catch the two members of the Ilie Nastase Group square off on Tennis Channel (for USA) at 8 AM EST.