Andrey Rublev started his tennis career at age of 3 and even slept with his racquet. He speaks Russian, English and Spanish and one of his idols growing up was Marat Safin who went on to become his coach. In March 2024, he launched the Andrey Rublev Foundation, which aims to provide essential resources and support to children around the world who are struggling with critical medical challenges, and working with hospitals such as the Sant Joan de Déu Children’s Hospital in Barcelona and Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, as well as organisations such as CURE Uganda, to fund pediatric surgeries for children in need.
The ATP named him the Most Improved Player of the Year in 2020 after jumping from No. 23 to No. 8 in the rankings, and he’s currently coming in with a position of World No. 15.
His most significant achievement in the AO has been reaching the quarterfinal in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and overall he’s a ten-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist. His favourite shot is forehand, and as well as being into boxing, basketball and music, he owns an icon painted by 15th-century Russian artist Andrei Rublev (no relation).
Irresistible was lucky enough to grab a few minutes with Rublev just after his win against Jaime Faria 6-4 6-3 4-6 7-5 in the 2nd round of the AO, and before he went on to contest Francisco Cerundolo in the 3rd.
How are you feeling after your win against Faria
Andrey Rublev: It’s always a nice feeling when you’re winning matches and you’re going to the next round. I feel great.
You’ve played here at the AO quite a few times. Do you love coming down to Melbourne?
I love Melbourne. I love Australia! I’m always looking forward to this trip.It’s special. There is no other place like it.
We’ve read that you’re really into house music and that you were in a band once. Are you doing anything with music at the moment?
Yes I love it and put it this way- I did a bit by myself, but realized if I want to be really good, I need to dedicate time to it, just like I have in tennis. It would take me another 10 years! To just be an amateur is not what I would want. So in the end, I found a better option! I’m paying the guy who knows how to produce music.
So maybe you’ll become a music producer as well on the side?
Let’s see. When I feel it’s the right moment, maybe. We’ll see what happens. As for the band, that was a long time ago.
It sounded fun! You covered One Direction?
I was quite young and I’d never been to a music studio or seen how a song is produced. I had friends that were doing these kind of things and they let me get involved. I asked them if the next time they were doing something if I could just watch, because for me, it’s super interesting. And then they said they were preparing to do a cover song and would I like to join them, even for a few words in the song. It was a lot of fun.
In my case, it’s easy. I guess if you have financial support, the life there is pretty easy.
I really like it here. Maybe not to live, but I would like to spend some more time here. One year I went to The Twelve Apostles drove all the way down the Great Ocean Road. I stopped in all these small little towns surrounded by the woods and all the surfing- it was unreal! It blew my mind- that trip was one of the best decisions that I ever made!
That’s great! Were you driving?
No, I was with friends and they were driving, so I was sleeping in the morning and then they would wake me up once we were on this amazing road and I thought I was still in a dream!
What do you love about it so much?
There was an energy. It felt like being in a movie. There was something about the towns that for me was unreal and super special.
So what are you looking forward to in your next match?
To win. I’m looking to win.
Any tactics going into it?
Not really. And that would be telling!
What about with your music. Do you ever find there’s a cross over in the way you think about music and tennis?
Somehow something clicks in my brain, very deep down, that music and tennis are the same thing. I think it’s when I’m asleep I think this, and when I wake up I think that’s impossible, that they’re way too different.
Maybe it’s something to do with rhythm, or the links between maths and music?
Yes, when I’m sleeping, something comes together.
