Andrey Rublev has struggled for form recently and hasn’t won a singles match since February.
The Russian star began his year with a shock defeat at the Australian Open when Rublev lost to Brazilian youngster Joao Fonseca in straight sets, 6-7, 3-6, 6-7.
His poor form continued until he touched down in Doha, as Rublev won the Qatar Open, with impressive wins over Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jack Draper.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, his win in the Middle East didn’t turn his fortunes around, as Rublev lost his next three matches.
Ahead of the clay court season, Rublev hired fellow Russian Marat Safin to his coaching team in a bid to return to form.
One of Safin’s rivals from his time on the ATP Tour has now shared his thoughts on their new coaching relationship.
Andy Roddick says Andrey Rublev’s decision to hire Marat Safin is similar to Taylor Fritz’s coaching move
Speaking to the Tennis Channel, former world number one Andy Roddick gave his honest opinion on Rublev’s decision to bring in Safin.
“Listen, it makes a lot of sense for a lot of different reasons,” he said.
“Sometimes you just need a different voice, credit to Fernando Vicente and the job that he’s done with Andrey Rublev over the years.
“Sometimes you need to bring in a Paul Annacone if you’re Mike Russell and Taylor Fritz or you need to bring in a Marat Safin just to get someone to look you in the eyes and say I know what it takes.”
Fritz and Michael Russell brought in legendary tennis coach Paul Annacone to help them out, a decision that paid off in 2024, as the American broke into the top five and reached his first Grand Slam final.
Roddick then explained how the pair’s styles could mesh together to achieve success on tour.
“You’re a little nuts, I’m a little nuts, you like wearing goofy sunglasses, I like wearing goofy sunglasses, we can both hit winners off the forehand and backhand side at any moment, this seems like a great match,” he said.
“Now, let’s see what Marat’s appetite for this is.”
Annacone then weighed in on the move, agreeing with Roddick that Safin and Rublev look to be a ‘good match.’
“I think this could be a really good match, but it’s up to Andrey to buy in and actually put things into action and be patient with himself,” he said.
“Look, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with the game of Andrey Rublev, he just has to be a little bit easier on himself when he is evaluating what he’s doing.
“Sure, you can get better at a few things, but it’s going to be driven by what’s going on between his ears.”
Roddick then reflected upon his decision to bring Jimmy Connors into his coaching team, and shared how Rublev’s latest acquisition reminds him of the move.
“I remember when I hired Jimmy Connors, he didn’t know most of the field,” he said.
“Now I think this is advantageous for someone like Rublev who doesn’t need a scouting report on everyone, he’s been around ten years, he’s seen the top to bottom of the top 100, he’s probably played 85% of the people and knows about the others.
“I think this is a nice fit because Marat doesn’t have to have been paying much attention to the tours. I’m certain he’s been involved and taking a cursory glance, but it’s not as if you need someone [looking at] data on every single player.
“It’s about balls and strikes, how do we take Andrey’s game and make it the most effective version.
“How do I make him accept those tough moments mentally?
“Safin’s been there, he had a similar personality and he was able to get through it, to the tune of two Slams.”
Andrey Rublev’s clay court success during his ATP career
Over recent years, Rublev has enjoyed more success on the clay than most, taking home six titles on the surface.
| Tournament | Tier | Final opponent | Score |
| 2024 Madrid Open | Masters 1000 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 |
| 2023 Swedish Open | ATP 250 | Casper Ruud | 7-6, 6-0 |
| 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters | Masters 1000 | Holger Rune | 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2022 Serbian Open | ATP 250 | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 6-7, 6-0 |
| 2020 Hamburg Open | ATP 500 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 |
| 2017 Croatia Open | ATP 250 | Paolo Lorenzi | 6-4, 6-2 |
His two Masters 1000 triumphs came on the clay, lifting a title in each of the past two seasons.
Andrey Rublev’s win at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters
Having lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Monte-Carlo final two years earlier, Rublev traveled to the principality with a point to prove in 2023 and did just that.
Coming through in a deciding set on three occasions, the Russian fought hard to clinch his first Masters 1000 title with a win over Holger Rune.
- 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters F – Andrey Rublev beat Holger Rune, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
- 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters SF – Andrey Rublev beat Taylor Fritz, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
- 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters QF – Andrey Rublev beat Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-1, 7-6
- 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters 3R – Andrey Rublev beat Karen Khachanov, 7-6, 6-2
- 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters 2R – Andrey Rublev beat Jaume Munar, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Andrey Rublev’s win at the 2024 Madrid Open
In one of the strangest tournaments in recent memory, Rublev took advantage in Madrid last year as several big names withdrew due to injury.
Taking down two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, Rublev went on to win his second title at the Masters 1000 level.
- 2024 Madrid Open F – Andrey Rublev beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
- 2024 Madrid Open SF – Andrey Rublev beat Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 6-3
- 2024 Madrid Open QF – Andrey Rublev beat Carlos Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
- 2024 Madrid Open 4R – Andrey Rublev beat Tallon Griekspoor, 6-2, 6-4
- 2024 Madrid Open 3R – Andrey Rublev beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 7-6, 6-4
- 2024 Madrid Open 2R – Andrey Rublev beat Facundo Bagnis, 6-1, 6-4
Rublev would no doubt love to add a third clay Masters title to his trophy cabinet when he takes to the court in Monte-Carlo.
The world number nine will face off against French veteran Gael Monfils in his opening match on Wednesday, April 9.
