Andrey Rublev launches eponymous charity foundation to support children's medical care

Andrey Rublev is hoping to make a difference in the lives of children in need with the launch of his eponymous charity foundation. The new Andrey Rublev Foundation was announced Wednesday, and hopes to assist children who are afflicted with various illnesses with their critical medical needs.

"I would like to use my platform and tennis career as a means to do more than just play; it’s about giving more than you receive," Rublev said in a statement posted to social media.

“I’ve been so fortunate to play a professional sport for a living and have my health,” Rublev added. “There are so many children in need of financial support for critical medical needs and being able to help them is a huge privilege for me.”

The initial funding has been provided by proceeds from December's launch of Rublev's clothing brand, Rublo, which launched with a collection entitled "Play for the Kids," and has totaled more than $150,000 USD to date.

In the aftermath of Rublev's controversial deafult, and subsequent appeal that returned the prize money and ranking points he earned, from last week's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Rublev reflected on the events an interview with Sofya Tartakova, where he was apologetic for his "unacceptable" behavior. But he also expounded on how the idea to support children's health came to him over the last year, since he signed on as an ambassador to Dubai-based Medcare and Aster Pharmacy.

"I thought that maybe now is the best moment to start a foundation for it, since I'm already moving in that direction," he said. "The attention will be focused on kids that need treatment, various medicines.

"The better understanding of things will come when we start working with them closely, but it will be about medicine that kids need, about surgeries, maybe financially helping trusted clinics ... that we know we can trust after working together. I hope that I'll manage to help, at least with something."

Rublev's stay at the BNP Paribas Open, where he is seeded No. 5, began Friday with a 7-6(3), 6-1 win over Andy Murray