"The absence of Novak Djokovic on my side of the draw wasn't enough" - Andrey Rublev on his inability to break Grand Slam QF hoodoo
Andrey Rublev has candidly discussed his inability to advance past the quarterfinals at Grand Slam tournaments, even in the absence of Novak Djokovic in his draw.
Rublev put together a successful season, winning two titles, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo. Although he reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open, he failed to progress past the last eight, repeating the trend from his six previous Major quarterfinal appearances.
The Russian suffered defeats to Djokovic at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while falling short against compatriot Daniil Medvedev at the New York Major.
In a recent interview, Rublev opened up about his struggle to surpass the Grand Slam quarterfinals barrier, joking that even avoiding the 24-time Grand Slam champion in his draw was not enough, as he lost to Medvedev at the US Open.
The Russian reflected on his straight-sets loss to the World No. 3 at the New York Major. He highlighted his missed opportunities during the match while acknowledging that Medvedev demonstrated greater clinical prowess in the decisive moments.
"The absence of Djokovic on my side of the draw seems like it wasn't enough (laughs). I lost twice against him, and in the match against Daniil at the US Open I didn't give enough on a mental level. It was a good match, I had opportunities to win. win some sets, but Daniil was better in the important moments. Of course, he was also better in general: he played better, he served better," he said (via Punto de Break).
Rublev also emphasized the crucial role of mentality in his loss, acknowledging the need to improve his mental capabilities for better performance in such situations.
"Mentality played a fundamental role in that match: it had never happened to me that he led by a break in each set. ...and I didn't win a single one. If Daniil had won 3-0 and I hadn't broken every set, that would mean that he was simply stronger than me at all times and that I must improve, but in this case the mental side "It was very important," he added.
A brief look at Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev's head-to-head record
Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev have locked horns in six tour-level encounters, with the Serb consistently dominating their rivalry. Djokovic has emerged victorious in five out of their six encounters, including all three of their matches this season.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion won their first-ever encounter at the 2021 ATP Finals in straight sets. Rublev leveled their head-to-head record by snatching victory in the 2022 Belgrade Open final.
Djokovic then went on a flawless run against the Russian, defeating him at the 2022 ATP Finals, 2023 Australian Open, and Wimbledon Championships. He also triumphed in their most recent clash, securing a hard-fought 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5 win in the Paris Masters semifinals.