Fifth seed Andrey Rublev surged into the last 16 of the Australian Open Saturday and thanked opponent Dan Evans for giving him extra energy by donating a banana mid-match.
The Russian crushed the Briton 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena to make the tournament fourth round for a third time.
He will face either unseeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert or Danish teenager and ninth seed Holger Rune for a place in the quarter-finals.
Despite being world number six Rublev, who has won 13 ATP titles, has never been further than the last eight at any Grand Slam.
He moved a step closer by defeating his friend and 25th seed Evans, who threw a banana to him at a changeover when he ran out.
“I didn’t ask him, I asked the ball boy, but Danny asked for bananas earlier and he had two so he just said ‘take it’, and I caught it,” he said.
“He helped me with some energy, for sure. I have extra for sure because I eat banana,” he joked.
Rublev, who was defeated twice in warm-up events ahead of the tournament, said he was growing in confidence as the Grand Slam progressed.
“Every match I’m playing better and better and I’m really happy because at the beginning of the season I lost to a couple of players,” he said.
“I lost a bit of confidence, but since the first match (in Melbourne) I’ve been playing really good tennis.”
After upsetting twelfth-seeded Paul in the latest bout in the Shanghai Masters, World No.7 Andrey Rublev revealed his modest nature in a post-match interview.
“I always prove that as better the chance is, the worse I perform,” Rublev said humbly despite putting on stellar performances in his recent matches and making it all the way to the quarterfinals.
He then proceeded to commend his contemporaries in the tournament, saying “And like I said, the next opponent is Ugo, just last week I lost to him. He is playing really well this week, he beat Stefanos. Then there is Jarry and Grigor in my draw, and I lost to Grigor many times. And Jarry I never played [with], but he’s playing this season unreal, only the way he serves his so tough to beat him so, not at all. And, they deserve to be where they are this week and that’s it because they played really well.”, via The Tennis Letter.
The Rublev interview
With Alcaraz out of the picture, Rublev remained the highest-ranked player in the Shanghai Masters and is now set to face thirty-second-seeded Ugo Humbert in the quarterfinals.
Last October 9, Rublev also put smiles on the faces of tennis fans as he ended his match with Adrian Mannarino with an apology and a tap on the back.
“Sorry man, I played unreal today” 💪
All smiles at the net between @AndreyRublev97 and Mannarino 🤣
In the video, as the match came to a close, Rublev waited for Mannarino to come to the net before shaking his hand and tapping his back, all while saying “Sorry man, I played unreal today. Good job with Astana.” The two were seen smiling as they made their way out of the court, ending the match on a good vibe.
Tennis fans then flocked to the comment section of the video to applaud Rublev for being so respectful towards his opponents.
One X user said, “Even when he plays his best and beats you everyone still likes him. He has a very likeable personality. Great win Andrey 👏”
Another added, “He is so nice and respectful, more guys like Andrey and Sinner please!! Always kind words for their opponents!”
Andrey Rublev was able to hold his own in a close-fought match against the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, who played some outstanding aces throughout the encounter. The spectators were highly engrossed in the proceedings, both amazed and delighted that both players were able to put up a fight. However, in the thrilling last set, Rublev was ultimately defeated by Hurkacz with 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8).
The match lasted for two hours and nine minutes. Despite his near-missed title, Rublev maintained a positive outlook after the conclusion of the match. In one of his interviews, Rublev said, “There are positive things I can take, mainly the level at which I’ve been playing throughout the tournament & that I have added a new Masters 1000 final. These things do not always happen. It’s clear that there are positive things.. they push me to continue working exactly as the same way.”
Rublev remains optimistic
He also expressed his satisfaction with his performance, claiming that for the first time in his career he felt that he had achieved a high level of performance and that he intends to demonstrate this level of performance in future bouts.
“I feel that in recent months I’ve been doing all the right things, that I am playing well, & that it is a matter of time before I can show this level in tournaments. Shanghai is the first tournament in which I’ve achieved this, so I hope to continue improving &continue showing this level for the rest of the year,” Rublev added.
Andrey Rublev says he’s focusing on the positives after loss to Hurkacz in Shanghai:
“There are positive things I can take, mainly the level at which I’ve been playing throughout the tournament & that I have added a new Masters 1000 final. These things do not always happen. It’s… pic.twitter.com/3Q0TxHKkYI
Meanwhile, Hurkacz celebrated his second Masters title and dedicated it to his grandmother, who happened to be celebrating her birthday on that day. In his X, he posted, “Shanghai ❤️🏆This one feels special. This season hasn’t been easy but I never stopped believing. Thanks to my family, my team and everyone cheering in the crowds and on tv. Well done Andrey on a great tournament! Thank you Shanghai. Happy birthday Grandma 😊”
Shanghai ❤️🏆
This one feels special. This season hasn’t been easy but I never stopped believing. Thanks to my family, my team and everyone cheering in the crowds and on tv. Well done Andrey on a great tournament! Thank you Shanghai.
Following their respective Masters triumphs, Rublev rose two spots to the fifth position in the ATP rankings. Meanwhile, Hurdacz improved his ranking to eleventh place in the ATP Live Race to Turin, as per ATP tour.
Even though he lost, Rublev went on to become the second Russian to make five ATP final appearances in a single season, following his countryman Daniil Medvedev.
2 – With Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev now reaching eight and six finals each in 2023, it is the second time in the Open Era two Russians have made more than five ATP-level finals in a season – Kafelnikov/Safin, 2000. Peak.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters@atptourpic.twitter.com/r16yocCNIF
In a video that went viral online earlier this year, World No. 19 Grigor Dimitrov and World No. 7 Andrey Rublev showcased their friendship. Dimitrov was seen putting his arm over Rublev as he spoke into the camera, “To all the fans, to all the people out there, we had a lot of fun with [Andrey]. Can you tell us what we did?”
To which Rublev replied, “I almost fell in love with you”. The video originated from Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters’ X account and was released in April 2023.
Six months later, The Tennis Letter re-posted the video just days before Dimitrov and Rublev’s semi-final showdown. Tennis fans gushed in the comments section over the two’s blossoming court bromance, claiming it’s rare to see such tight camaraderie amongst tennis professionals these days.
“Throwback to the moment Andrey Rublev declared his love for Grigor Dimitrov earlier this year.
Andrey: “I almost fell in love with you.” 😂
The bromance that keeps on giving.
Ladies & Gentleman, I give you your Shanghai Masters Semifinalists.”
Throwback to the moment Andrey Rublev declared his love for Grigor Dimitrov earlier this year.
When asked about playing his close buddy in the semi-finals, Rublev responded that it would be challenging because, one, he is his friend, and two, he is an outstanding player.
“It’s gonna be a tough match. First, because he’s a friend & I like him. Second, because he’s a really great player. It’s really tough to beat him when he feels the game. When he’s in form, he can play amazing. We can see this week he’s playing really well. Especially the match against Alcaraz. Last time he beat me in straight sets. We’ll see. I hope we can show great tennis & the people will enjoy,” per The Tennis Letter.
Rublev on facing rival & friend Grigor Dimitrov in Shanghai
Andrey: “It’s gonna be a tough match. First, because he’s a friend & I like him. Second, because he’s a really great player. It’s really tough to beat him when he feels the game. When he’s in form, he can play amazing.… pic.twitter.com/xB23FfaPSt
And, in a post-match interview, Rublev reiterated to the viewers that facing Dimitrov in Shanghai will be difficult, saying, “It’s going to be a really tough match against my love.”
Andrey Rublev on facing Grigor Dimitrov next in Shanghai:
Last Saturday’s Shanghai Masters semi-final saw Dimitrov and Rublev put their friendship on hold to face off in a thrilling match. The spectators witnessed the duo pushing each other to their limits in the initial set, which featured a tie-breaker that extended the match to a total of 76 minutes.
The ball looked to clip the net at one point during the highly charged match, but the umpire did not issue a “let”, prompting Dimitrov to become furious with the umpire. Rublev, on the other side, volunteered to play the point, which Dimitrov declined gracefully, adding “It’s fine really, it’s fine. I appreciate it.”
Following Stefanos Tsitsipas’ and Holger Runes’ early exits from the tournament, Andrey Rublev followed shortly after his third loss against Zverev.
Rublev vs. Alcaraz
Rublev suffered a crushing loss to his good old friend and current World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev earlier this week, 6-4, 6-2.
However, because the competition was set up in a round-robin format, Rublev still had a chance to go to the semifinals if he defeated his subsequent opponents.
He was to face Alcaraz in his next match, and seeing as the Spanish player was placed in the same tough situation as he too lost his previous match against Alexander Zverev, they both set out on court with a sort of hunger the spectators had never seen before.
Rublev’s third loss and tournament exit
Unfortunately for Rublev, Alcaraz played more spectacularly this time. The Spaniard appeared to be invigorated after suffering back-to-back losses before their encounter, as he won the first two sets 7-5 and 6-2.
In frustration, Rublev was seen smashing his racket several times at one point during the second set, not on the court or the bench but on his very own knee, which caused fans to worry over the Russian player on social media. The Russian has always been known to be emotional, but this time was slightly different.
Rublev acknowledged that it wasn’t easy for him in a post-match interview. Whether he was losing against a player or his friend, he was still disappointed. All he wanted to do was finish the season strong, and now he will never get the chance.
“You feel disappointed, especially now when you understand that the season is over and that’s it basically. You want to do better. You want to at least to try to have a better result, to play some great matches in the end of the season. Of course, you feel disappointed when it’s not happening,” Rublev said to the Turin Press.
Andrey Rublev says he’s disappointed after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz because he wanted to finish the season playing great matches:
“Of course it's not easy because you always want to finish in a good way. Sometimes you get disappointed when it's not happening. Today I got… pic.twitter.com/hR3RUfM2hY
Subsequently, Rublev suffered his third straight loss and was swept off by Zverev in a straight-set victory of 6-4, 6-4, to eliminate Rublev from the competition.
Zverev beats Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-4 in Turin
After last year’s injury, Sascha made a successful comeback this season.
No one can deny that Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev have one of the most beautiful friendships in tennis. Both hailing from Russia, Rublev revealed earlier this year that the two of them have been friends since they were around six years old.
Over the years, their friendship bloomed and deepened, despite the fact that they had to compete against each other on the court multiple times. In fact, the two got so closely-knitted that Medvedev named Rublev the godfather of his first child, Alisa.
Career-wise, the two also put in constant hard work and dedication to the sport and eventually rose to the summit of the Pepperstone ATP rankings, with Medvedev currently ranked No. 3 and Rublev ranked No. 5, respectively.
Nitto ATP finals
The two made it to the Nitto ATP finals this year, and they were the second pair to spar on court in the Green Group.
With this being their ninth-time together on court and with so much stake on the line, Medvedev and Rublev suited up for the game.
“To be honest, on court, I don’t know how it is for him. For me on court, doesn’t exist, friends, enemies. I just try to win the match. I don’t think about anything else,” Medvedev said of their encounter.
Medvedev defeated Rublev in a straight-set 6-4, 6-2 victory, improving their head-to-head record to 7-2.
And although Medvedev stated that he doesn’t think of their friendship once they step onto the court, he admitted that this mindset wears off as soon as the match draws to a close.
“But when the last point is finished, it’s like I feel sorry for him, he lost the match. But it’s the same for him. If he beats me, I mean, last year was brutal when he beat me,” Medvedev added.
He also added that after beating him, there was some kind of distance between them, as Rublev got ‘kind of shy’ to talk to him afterwards.
“So I felt for one or two days he was kind of shy to talk to me, taking care. It’s the same. You always try to look at him and see if tomorrow we can talk like normal. I’m going say him good luck, go for it the next matches, and he’s probably going to say the same,” he said to the Turin Press.
Daniil Medvedev says he feels sorry for Andrey Rublev once the match is over, but ‘friends don’t exist’ on court:
"To be honest, on court, I don't know how it is for him. For me on court, doesn't exist, friends, enemies. I just try to win the match. I don't think about anything… pic.twitter.com/zOLfj3nNGp
