Andrey Rublev has suddenly found a rhythm at the Madrid Masters.
Heading into the tournament, the world No.8 suffered four consecutive straight-sets losses at the hands of players ranked outside the top 30.
ANDREY RUBLEV: "I just fell in love"
Now, he is on four-match win streak in the Spanish capital, with his previous three opponents seeded inside the top 30. His latest triumph, one of the biggest of his career, came over world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Game Insight Group analyst Simon Rea examined Rublev’s performance against Alcaraz on The AO Show Weekly podcast, highlighting his drastic improvement in winning big points under pressure.
“In terms of break points saved on his own service game, typically, when you look over the last 12 months, he normally saves two out of three, about 65 per cent,” Rea explains.
"Against one of the best returners in the game, Carlos Alcaraz, he saved seven out of eight break points.”
LISTEN: The latest episode of The AO Show Weekly
By staying calmer under pressure and winning key points that can turn a match, Rublev is mentally progressing past his recent form slump.
This is also an area on which Rublev is clearly focusing.
“He spoke a lot after the match today (against Alcaraz) about his composure, and no matter what was going to come at him, he was determined to not say a word,” Rea said.
“I imagine for someone like a Rublev, for someone that does wear his heart on his sleeve, that’s a real challenge and takes all kinds of will power and discipline to produce that kind of performance.”
Being one of the game’s most expressive players on court may have helped Rublev achieve the success he has to date, with many players thriving and gaining an edge through releasing emotion on court.
Yet striking more of a balance could propel Rublev to greater heights.
“You’ve got to be true to yourself, but it can’t be destructive. There’s a fine line there that I think you’re walking when you do wear your heart on your sleeve,” Rea said.
Rublev will take on world No.13 Taylor Fritz in the Madrid semifinals and is the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw.
Perhaps a newfound shift in mentality will see Rublev reborn – a golden opportunity presents for him to clinch a second career ATP Masters 1000 title.