“I’m Afraid That I’m Just Maybe Lucky”: Andrey Rublev Opens up About his Fears

Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev has been on a roll in the recent past.

As if five titles in a breakthrough 2020 season wasn’t enough to unleash himself into the global tennis consciousness, the Russian followed it up with another at Rotterdam this year, making it four back-to-back ATP 500 titles since last year.

Such was his incredible run of wins at ATP 500 events that he streaked past three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray’s mark of 21 consecutive wins and was in sight of equaling or even going past 20-time Major champion Roger Federer’s record winning streak of 28 matches.

“Want to keep doing this for the long-term”: Andrey Rublev

While he finally fell short of Federer’s mark, going down in the semifinals of ATP Dubai to compatriot and eventual champion Aslan Karatsev, Rublev’s journey from an also-ran in 2019 to one of the top tennis stars in two years’ time has been nothing short of phenomenal.

However, if you ask the Russian if he is satisfied with how far he has come – from the Number 99 player struggling to make a mark in the men’s circuit in 2019 – he would say that he is far from done.

For the current World 8, the quest for excellence is a never-ending process.

“I want to be better and better. It’s not about what I’m doing now or what I did. It’s about that I want to keep doing this for the long-term,” Rublev said.

Many would read this as an ominous message for his rivals, especially going into the prestigious Miami Open.

“I stopped thinking how it’s going to be”: Rublev

Rublev added that he often thinks that he may be going through a “lucky” phase and, hence, wants to keep working on his game and improving.

“I’m afraid that I’m just maybe lucky, that maybe I’m not good enough,” Rublev said, adding that he wants to test himself across surfaces and see if he can sustain his levels and winning momentum through the entire stretch of a season.

He said that his episode with a lower-back stress fracture in 2018 and struggles in the circuit a year later brought him more clarity.

“I stopped thinking how it’s going to be…I’m thinking now about what to do better and that’s it,” Rublev said of his positive approach and the benefits it has brought him.

After teaming up with current World Number 2 Daniil Medvedev to take Russia to its first ATP Cup title this year, Rublev followed that up with a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open. However, his campaign was cut short in the last-eight by Medvedev, the eventual losing finalist.

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