Andrey Rublev recalls being mistaken for Alexander Zverev during junior days
Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev share a close friendship on tour, and the inception of their bond dates back to junior tennis.
Rublev paried up with Zverev in doubles competitions during their junior years, even reaching the quarterfinals of the 2014 Australian Open boys' doubles. While they later went different ways with their journey in singles, the bond between the two continues to remain strong.
In a recent conversation with the ATP Tour, Rublev recalled their first ever meeting, where people thought he bore a striking resemblance to Zverev.
"First time that we met, I remember was in Mallorca and I don't know, 12 or something years old tournament," Rublev said. "And I remember, he went out from elevator and everybody like, looking at him and [said], 'It's you, it's you walking there!' I look at Sascha [Zverev] and say, no chance I look like this guy."
As juniors, Rublev and Zverev played each other for the first time in Moscow. Reflecting on the match, the Russian recalled both of them playing with intense determination despite it being a consolation match.
"[In Moscow] it was a typical match that both of us didn't want to play because it's a consolation, no motivation at all but then when you start to play, you don't want to lose. In the end, we finish more motivated than the main matches that I lost with him," he said.
Rublev has commenced his clay swing this year in style at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he defeated Holger Rune to claim his first ever Masters 1000 title. Meanwhile, Zverev endured a third-round defeat to Daniil Medvedev.
Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev's head-to-head record
Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev have squared off on six occasions on the tour, with the German holding a commanding 5-1 lead in the head-to-head.
The duo's first meeting saw Zverev secure a first-round win at the 2016 Monte-Carlo Masters. He went on to beat the Russian on four more occasions - at the 2017 China Open, the 2019 Shanghai Masters, the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 Cincinnati Masters.
Rublev eventually defeated Zverev in the Dubai Tennis Championships semifinals earlier this year. The Russian, however, was denied the title as he suffered a straight sets defeat to compatriot Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash.