Andrey Rublev admits there are a lot of aspects of his game that need to improve while he also acknowledged that controlling his emotions on the court remains a “long-term job”.
The 27-year-old won two titles this year – including the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid Open – while he also finished runner-up at the Masters event in Canada.
But he will be the first to admit that he didn’t quite reach his full potential in 2024 as he reached only one Grand Slam quarter-final – at the Australian Open – and had a 43-26 (62%) win-loss record, down from the 68% last year and 72% in 2022.
Having finished the 2023 season at No 5, Rublev is currently at No 8 and the gap to those ahead of him, especially rising stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, appears to be widening.
Asked if the inability to keep up with Sinner and Alcaraz is a mental thing, he told AFP that he actually has to work on a lot of technical features, including his net game.
“There’s a bit of everything. The main aspect is of course mental, but there are also a lot of aspects of my game,” he said.
“I’m in the top 10, but I’m one of the worst net players! The other players in the top 10 can hit balls from difficult positions; mine sometimes land outside the court.
“So I’m trying to work on those details, I’m devoting more time to them than before. In the past, I was only obsessed with my forehand; today, I am a little more open to working on other things in training.”
Rublev has become known for his on-court outbursts and he has even shed blood a couple of times after hitting himself with his racket.
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He has admitted that he has sought professional help to help him deal with his anger issues, but for now he is taking it step by step.
“I’m trying. But honestly, it’s a long-term job. Sometimes you progress, you progress, then you regress a little bit,” the Russian said.
“There are a lot of elements that can make you lose your cool and fall back into your old habits. Of course, I want to be the best! But it takes time.”
Renowned coach and Ultimate Tennis Showdown boss Patrick Mouratoglou has admitted in the past that Rublev probably “needs that craziness” in order to play well.
“When this happens I think it hurts him and I think it hurts his results this year. You had this one at UTS, you had Dubai, and I think that’s one of the reasons he’s struggled so much this year.
“I think he needs that craziness to play his best and I think that if he tries to control it because he’s scared to go too far, then he struggles to find his tennis so that’s a thin line that’s difficult to find for him.”
