“I’m a Top 10 Guest”: Andrey Rublev Feels Like an Outsider Despite Stellar 2020 Season

Winning an incredible five ATP titles during the 2020 season, Andrey Rublev had the most successful year of his career. Rublev started the season by clinching two back-to-back titles at the Adelaide International and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

The Russian delivered his career best results in each of the Grand Slams by making the fourth round of the Australian Open and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open and US Open. Continuing his exploits post the tour’s resumption, Rublev claimed victories at Hamburg European Open, St. Petersburg Open, and Vienna Open.

I’m a top 10 guest: Andrey Rublev

During an interview with MARCA, the host questioned Rublev whether he felt his level was at par with the best players considering he won the most titles in the 2020 season. Despite reaching a career-high ranking of World No.8, Rublev talked about feeling like a guest in the Top-10.

The 23-year-old believes he needs to perform consistently over the next few years to consider himself among the best. He hailed the likes of Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev for proving their mettle on the tour.

“I feel like I’m a top 10 guest. To really feel like one of them I have to find consistency and that means being in that position for a couple of years. It can be said that Thiem, Zverev or Medvedev have deserved to be there,” said Rublev.

Due to his stellar performances, Rublev qualified for the ATP Nitto Finals for the first time in his career. Having finished the season with an impressive 41-10 win-loss record, Rublev equaled Novak Djokovic with the most match wins during the 2020 season.

Recognizing his hard work and effort over the last 12 months, Rublev received the award for ATP Most Improved Player of the Year.