• Live Narration: Tsitsipas-Rublev (14.30)

Andrey Rublev (Moscow, 1997), number eight in the ranking, attended EL MUNDO via Zoom from Miami, a tournament where he was a semifinalist.

A few days later, he emerged well from a tough game against Rafael Nadal, 11 times champion, and almost intractable on clay.

Friendly and spontaneous, he has his feet on the ground and assumes that he has work ahead of him.

“I still have a lot of room to improve.

The forehand, the backhand, the volley, the serve ... Everything.

Also the mental part, which is what makes the difference.

Roger Federer predicted at the beginning of 2020 that you were going to be one of the sensations of the season. It took five titles. The prediction was not bad, I thank you. It is a real honor to hear something like this from such a legend. But there are many players my age or younger who are doing just as well or in a similar way. There is still a long way of hard work to keep improving. . You beat him in Cincinnati in 2019. It was one of your great victories. How do you remember that moment? I was shocked, but also because I put myself in his place and imagined the harshness of that defeat for him. Every week enduring so much pressure because you can't lose and devalue yourself in the media. You have to do at least finals in all tournaments. He has been doing it for many, many years.It impacted me even more than my victory, his demeanor, his attitude, the way he accepted it. He felt on the track that he had beaten a true legend. Who do you think will finish with more Grand Slam titles, Federer, Nadal or Djokovic? It's hard to say, because they are the three greatest in history. Right now I think Rafa is the one with the best chances, because he has already reached Federer's 20 greats and at Roland Garros he is definitely the big favorite. Federer is coming off an injury and hasn't played many games. He needs to regain his rhythm, his form and get ready for the grass and try to win Wimbledon. And there is Novak, who has won Australia again and is number 1 in the world. It will be difficult to beat. What do you need to compete better regularly with top 5 players? Everything. In my case,It's good that I still have a lot of room to improve. If you look at it blow by blow, you can see quite a few things that I can do better with my forehand. Also the backhand, the serve, the volley, the rest, the defense, also the mental part, which is what makes the difference with the best, stronger in the head than I. Do you work with a psychologist? No, only with myself and with my team and the people who know me. I listen to them and try to listen to myself. This is how it works in my case. What is the most difficult thing in the transition from fast track to dirt? The movement, because you have to move on the track in a different way. We remind you, very young, in the Davis Cup tie against Spain, in Vladivostok. He lost to Robredo, but won the final point against Andújar and his country came back from 0-2, it was very special. He was a boy then. I was 17 years old.We played in a big stadium, in front of 4,000 or 5,000 people, something that doesn't happen often in Russia. They chose me to play the last game. At that age, in that part of my career, it was a really special moment. Is there something in common in this new generation of Russian tennis players, between you, Medvedev, Khachanov, Karatsev ...? We are completely different, in conception In the game, in the form of preparation, we train in different places, with different teams. We also don't have much of an opportunity to train together, except in team competitions. We have different systems. I think the confluence of four good Russian players was accidental, he is the player with the most points in the already long period of pandemic, after Djokovic and Medvedev, but the new scoring system in the ATP ranking keeps him eighth ...There is not much to say. There are good and bad things. For me, the old system was better, because it would be number three in the world. They have tried the best for the average of the players and you have to get used to that. Do you think it is fair? What is fair? For me, of course not, because it should be number three, but if you look at other players on the circuit, with much worse rankings, who have been going through a bad time and in a complicated situation, and they are helped so that they can enter In the tournament tables, you see it differently. How is your life in Barcelona and your work with Fernando Vicente? I have a wonderful connection with Fernando. We understand each other perfectly, on and off the track. I can't imagine a better coach for me. Do you live most of the year in Barcelona? Not really. I was born in Moscow and my whole family is there.As soon as I have three or four days off, I fly directly there to see my friends and family. Especially during the gravel season, for me it is better to be in Barcelona with my team, not to return to Moscow between one tournament and another, because, furthermore, there are few gravel courts there. Fernando is from Barcelona, ​​Marc [Boada, his physiotherapist] is also from there. After Australia, I was in Moscow, also in the part of the season in which Rotterdam, Dubai are played ... What has been the worst moment for you during the pandemic that is still ravaging the world? You know better than I do. serious problems for many people, how many deaths have there been. I have many friends who have lost their jobs or had their wages lowered, some of whom do not even have the ability to buy food. My life, after all, is completely the same.I should not worry about my situation, but about how the world is. I am very lucky. I have not worked for half a year, but I have a normal life, without difficulties. How is progressing with Spanish and Catalan? Very bad. Really? Yes, I am very lazy. I can understand both languages, but I am too lazy to learn to speak it. When you train all day and come home I am too tired. I just want to rest, have dinner, lie in bed, and recover to be ready the next day. If I had classes with a teacher, I think I would explode mentally.but I'm too lazy to learn to speak it. When you train all day and come home I am too tired. I just want to rest, have dinner, lie in bed, and recover to be ready the next day. If I had classes with a teacher, I think I would explode mentally.but I'm too lazy to learn to speak it. When you train all day and come home I am too tired. I just want to rest, have dinner, lie in bed, and recover to be ready the next day. If I had classes with a teacher, I think I would explode mentally.

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Know more

  • Rafael Nadal

  • Novak Djokovic

  • Roland Garros

  • Wimbledon

  • Davis cup

Tennis "Nadal arrives physically and mentally well, with only one tournament played and little wear and tear"

TennisAn immense Rublev knocks down Nadal on his favorite stage

TennisNadal, implacable against Delbonis on his return to competition

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