The Russian was asked during his post-match press conference about the big opportunity that lay before him: he is the only top 10 player left in the men’s draw, and the near-unanimous favorite to lift the trophy. But Rublev was typically pessimistic in his response, taking pains to talk up the chances of his opponents and play down his own.
Andrey Rublev believes there is extra pressure on him ahead of his next two matches, since the expectations are higher from him as a top 10 player. The World No. 8 insisted that Hubert Hurkacz, Roberto Bautista Agut and Jannik Sinner have all been in great form this week, while pointing out that Hurkacz and Bautista Agut have beaten him in the last 52 weeks.
Andrey Rublev recalls the guidance he received as a 16-year-old from former Australian Open champion Petr Korda
During the interview, Andrey Rublev was also asked about his relationship with Sebastian Korda’s father. Petr Korda was an accomplished player in his day, winning the 1998 Australian Open and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world.
Rublev revealed that he gained a lot of insight under the tutelage of Korda Sr. a few years ago, when he was training at Bradenton IMG as a 16-year-old.
Andrey Rublev went on to highlight the former Slam champion’s knowledge of the game, before asserting that he was not at all surprised by Sebastian Korda’s recent improvement. After all, it was under his father’s guidance that Korda Jr. forged the base of his big groundstrokes and gliding movement.
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