If Grand Slam titles could be won on charisma alone, Andrey Rublev would have dozens of them – as even the most casual observer of the world No.5 at AO 2024 could attest.
With sunglasses on, a natural swagger and wearing his own clothing line, Rublev has attracted countless ‘hellos’ and admiring glances as he walks the corridors beneath Rod Laver Arena.
Few would be surprised to learn that in an earlier life, the Russian was once a member of a cover band.
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Widely considered one of the nicest players on tour, he acknowledges most with a nod or a smile. Many of those exchanges are with fellow players, leaving no doubt that beneath the cool exterior is a quality individual.
And all those traits are magnified when it comes to Rublev’s tennis.
Showcasing a blend of electrifying talent and unfiltered emotion, the fifth seed has made his way to the Australian Open final 16 for the fourth time – after only narrowly surviving the first hurdle as he overcame Thiago Seyboth Wild in a fifth-set first-round tiebreak.
“I will not forget this one,” he laughed, in typical self-deprecating style after securing victory in three hours and 42 minutes at Margaret Court Arena. “I was on the edge of losing the first match and in the last moment, someone caught me.”
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A 15-time titlist on the ATP Tour, Rublev is aiming to improve on his Grand Slam peak of nine quarterfinal appearances – the first of which he contested at the 2017 US Open as a 19-year-old.
Rublev arrived at AO 2024 in red-hot form, after lifting the trophy at the ATP 250 tournament in Hong Kong. Combined with his successful stint so far in Melbourne, he’s yet to lose in seven matches this year.
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It follows a career-best 2023 season, which included a first ATP Masters 1000 title (in Monte Carlo), six finals appearances in total, and a first quarterfinal at Wimbledon.
Asked what’s changed for him in that transformational period, Rublev noted his maturity as both a player and a person.
“I mean one of the big differences, I think that I improved my tennis,” he said. “I am showing (a) more consistent level, I would say. Hopefully also a bit more maturity (too).
“And yeah, just maybe a better person in general. I would like to, at least, hope.”
What hasn’t changed for Rublev is his relentless passion for the sport.
The son of a boxing father, also Andrey, and tennis coach mother, Marina, Rublev took up the game as a three-year-old, and developed a love that was so deeply entrenched he would at times sleep with his racquet.
“You cannot describe this feeling – like when you fall in love in real life,” Rublev smiled.
“I just fell in love … it was really tough to take me home from the courts. So I was spending from the morning till the afternoon (there).
“By nine or 10 years old, I was spending on courts from 9am to 10pm. Breakfast there, lunch there, dinner there – all my time on courts.”
Rublev has channelled that passion into high-intensity tennis and while admitting he “can get a bit emotional” in high-pressure situations, it’s at no cost to his huge popularity off court.
Generous with his time and sentiment, Rublev is happy to sign autographs or poses for endless selfies with fans.
He understands the adoration will be tested on Sunday when he takes on top-10 Australian Alex de Minaur for a place in the AO 2024 quarterfinals.
“It’s normal that they would support Alex,” he reasoned. “He’s a super great player and such a nice guy. Hopefully we will have a great match and spectators will enjoy. That’s the most important thing.”
Equally important to Rublev is living the dream that was first forged as a little boy in Moscow.
“When I was a kid, there was just hoping that I will be one of the main players,” he said.
“I was hoping that, of course, I would like to be to achieve (world) No.1. I think (like) every player that I would like to win a Slam.
“I was dreaming about those things when I was a kid. It’s happened that I'm on tour and I'm playing all the best tournaments every week, so at least I'm living this life.”