"Andrey Rublev is very calm and very warm, he is very loved by his colleagues" - Assistant coach and advisor Alberto Martin
Andrey Rublev is a "very calm" and "very warm" personality in the locker room and is very well-liked by his colleagues on tour, stated former ATP player Alberto Martin in a recent interview.
Martin, who studied psychology at the University of Barcelona and has a Master's degree in the subject, joined the 25-year-old's entourage as an assistant coach and advisor earlier this year. The Spaniard is now accompanying Rublev at the Miami Open, where the World No. 7 has reached the Round of 16.
Speaking to ATPTour.com ahead of his fourth-round fixture, Martin lavished praise on Andrey Rublev, marveling at how the Russian signs autographs for all the fans who come to see him in practice regardless of how long it takes him.
With the 25-year-old wanting his kindness to be his ultimate "legacy," Martin and the rest of his team did not want to prevent him from doing so either and were okay with letting him indulge his fans however he liked.
"Andrey Rublev is very calm and very warm. He does things that I haven't seen many times in my life. He comes out of practice and signs autographs for everyone, all the people who are waiting. I remember that he came out of the game in Dubai and signed 45 minutes..."
"I told him: 'Man, you have to cool down', but he doesn't want to leave anyone without a signature. He says that it is part of his legacy, of what he wants to represent. He wants the fans to be happy. So we respect it," Martin said.
Alberto Martin also believed that Rublev had the respect of his colleagues in the locker room, who thought of him as a "very nice" guy off the court and very fair on it. With the World No. 7 recently launching his own clothing line - Rublo - as well, Martin was all the more impressed with him, adding that he liked the fact that Rublev started the brand not for commercial reasons but to "leave a message."
"In the locker room he is very loved by his [colleagues]. Everyone says that he is a very nice guy. And on the track he is very legal. He also surprised me that he launched his clothing brand," Martina said. "The motto is 'play for the kids, play for the light'. And he has not done it on a commercial level but because he wanted to leave a message."
Andrey Rublev can't lose the spark that makes him so good: Alberto Martin
Alberto Martin further spoke about working together with Andrey Rublev, stating that his team's current priority was to find the right balance between his aggression and calmness on the court. With the Russian being a naturally aggressive player who likes to go for his shots, Martin did not want to hinder that part of his personality too much.
From what the Spaniard has seen of Rublev this past week in Miami, however, he was very happy with the middle ground the World No. 7 has found in his game.
"[The priority when working has been] in finding the balance between being a little calmer and not going crazy at the slightest opportunity. But he can't lose the spark that he has that makes him so good or the aggressiveness," Martin said.
"Andrey Rublev is a player who has to play very aggressive, and if he is very passive and just pushes the ball, well, he doesn't work. And we talked about this with the team, about trying to find this middle ground. And, for now, he has found it in Miami. I, the truth, I am very happy right now in this aspect," he added.
Up next, Andrey Rublev will take on Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of the Miami Open, with the winner set to face either Emil Ruusuvuori or Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals.