World No. 9 Andrey Rublev feels he has the game for big things but admits he needs to improve his mental game in order to reach the next step in his development. Rublev, who is a six-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, broke into the top-10 for the first time in October 2020.
Since then, Rublev hasn’t really elevated his game to the next level. Now, he reveals what is stopping him from winning Grand Slam and Masters events. “My weakness is mental, but hopefully there will be some improvements in this.
I have a good game to be on the next level, but I am the one who stops myself from this because I’m always emotional and for me it’s important not to let the bad emotions take the lead,” Rublev told ATP Tennis Radio Podcast.
Rublev set for Gijon after a devastating Astana Open loss
Last week, Rublev kicked off his indoor-hard swing campaign at the Astana Open. In the Kazakh capital, Rublev was playing well as he easily won his first three matches in straight sets to reach the semifinal.
Then, Rublev made a positive start to his Astana Open semifinal, but then his level dropped and Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed a 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory. After not realizing an early break point in the second set – Rublev got broken in the 10th game – when he was serving to stay in the second set.
Then in the third set, Rublev missed out on two break points in the fifth game before Tsitsipas earned the key break in the eighth game. Rublev, who definitely had his chances against Tsitsipas, was visibly frustrated on the court with missed chances in the second and third sets.
This week, Rublev is competing at the Gijon Open. In Gijon, Rublev is the top-seeded player and has a first-round bye. Rublev plays in the round-of-16 the winner of the match between Ilya Ivashka and Feliciano Lopez. It remains to be seen if Rublev can win the inaugural Gijon Open.
