US OPEN

September 5, 2020

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/S. Caruso

6-0, 6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congrats on reaching week 2. Question about all three of the Russian men, what they are doing so well of late. Daniil looks like he's going to be winning. Karen is in a tough battle with de Minaur, but in your own words, can you tell me what makes those two players so good? Can you tell me what you like about Karen's game and Daniil's game? What makes these guys so special in your opinion?

ANDREY RUBLEV: First of all, thank you for congratulations.

Well, let's start with Karen, because I'm practicing with him quite often and we used to practice together for couple of years. I mean, for sure he have really good serve, especially really good percentage of the serve and placement.

He can serve everywhere. Second serve is really hard. So it's not easy to attack. So even sometimes maybe his first serve doesn't go well, he still is serving really hard second one. Then it's tough to break him anyway.

Really great backhand. Really great. He's hitting really hard crosscourt and he can change down the line with a backhand from any positions.

He's a fighter. He always try to fight. He always try to, even if he doesn't feel well, he still fighting. And in the end, he's great player. He is where he is, he is top 15. He was top 10. So in the end...

Daniil, yeah, he have amazing serve, amazing return (smiling). Have amazing legs. Unbelievable fighter.

He brings all the balls. He fights no matter what. His backhand -- I mean, not even the backhand. His style of the game is really, really unusual. So you cannot rush with him. He force you to play not your style of the game. He force you to play a little bit slower. He force you to wait more, to play longer rallies. Many players maybe in one moment after one hour playing this type of game, type of style, they start to stress, they start to give up, they start to rush, they start to go for the shots, try to play shorter rallies, and in the end they miss more than they make.

In the end, it's amazing style of the game of Daniil. That's how he become top 3.

Q. Just a two-parter. How did you think you played today? What were you happiest with? And then obviously in the first tournament you came back, you had a tricky opponent. Did you do anything special between then and the US Open? What did you do to get into your best form?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I will start about the match. I was quite happy with my performance today that I was quite focused, that I didn't really give a chance to my opponent to come back. I mean, in the second set he come back, but then I played again one good game at the 5-4. And then I play since the beginning of the third set till the end of the match I was completely focused. I was trying to win every game, because I didn't want it to happen what happen in the second set that he come back and he had chances.

So I was trying to play, since the beginning to the end of the match, and I was quite happy with my performance.

Can you repeat the second question?

Q. Obviously in the first tournament back, you had sort of a tricky match.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, now I remember. Yeah, so...

Q. So what did you do in between then and now?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Basically I mean, the first tournament, yeah, was not an easy opponent against Evans, and after such a long break I was too much nervous. I was really tight and I couldn't handle it. Evans was playing really great match, especially after such a long break, and he deserved to win.

So basically nothing. I was just practicing the same way, just accepting the things, accepting that might happen the same thing during the US Open, and that's it.

Because I was practicing well even before Cincinnati, I was feeling the ball well, I was playing with great guys, and I was feeling the ball well. So there was no problem.

I cannot say that I was preparing not really good or I was feeling something not good and then I play bad Cincinnati. No, I was playing and practicing really well. But just happen that I couldn't handle the tension.

And here, opposite, I was practicing well and everything was great, and in the end, almost since the first match I start to play more or less good, and match by match I'm playing better and better.

Q. I'm curious, did you sign Novak Djokovic's and Pospisil's letter and kind of application for the player organization? And also, what do you think the real mission of this organization should be or is?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Hello. For the moment, I didn't sign nothing, because first of all, I have zero education in these kind of questions, in these kind of details. So I want to, first of all, I want to know exactly all the details what is the plan of them, how they are seeing the things, what exactly they want to do.

Then I want to know all details from the ATP, why also some top players they are against this. I don't know. I just want to know exactly, exactly all the information. Then I want to talk with my team, and then I will make a decision.

Because in my case, I have no education in this, so I don't really even understand what's going on. Because, I mean, the way Vasek and Novak saying the things, they are saying really good things. Of course when you hear what they are saying, you want to support them.

But in the end, because you don't have, especially me, I don't have, I have zero education, I cannot just go straight without knowing all the little details.

So I need to know everything before I will decide something.

Q. How will you get this education? How can you find out both sides of this story in a fair way and make a decision?

ANDREY RUBLEV: First of all, to talk with everyone, I mean, from both sides. Then second thing to talk for sure someone from my team who knows in this, how works this political things. And then I will talk with my team and make a decision.

Q. You have had a very strong first week, haven't dropped a set, but you have kind of been flying under the radar a little bit in comparison to some of the other players who are talked about more. Wondering, for you, how do you feel about being under the radar? Do you prefer it that way, or do you thrive on also a little bit more attention?

ANDREY RUBLEV: To be honest, I mean, about that I won three matches in three sets, I think I was a little bit lucky. Is just happen this way.

So there is nothing much to say. Sometimes will happen opposite. Sometimes I will win matches in five sets, like was happening before, but in the end the most important is result.

And about the second part, to be honest, I'm fine with both ways. When I don't have at all attention and when I have, when people expect something, because in the end I try to focus on myself. I try to focus on the things that I need to do.

In the end it's part of our sport. Every time someone will have more attention. Someone will have less attention. If I will play with a better player than me he will have more attention so he will be more under the pressure. When someone lower ranking is going to play against me I will have more attention.

So it's a part of the sport. And it's normal.

Q. You have a Spanish coach, you train in Spain. I'm wondering, what kind of, I guess, mentality or what are the positives that you get from the kind of Spanish school of thought in tennis?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I would say my coach -- I mean, I don't know what is Spanish tennis school or something (smiling). I always when I was kid, they know, this guy went to play in Spanish tennis.

But in the end when I arrive to Spain, I mean, to Fernando, there was no Spanish school or tennis. They know which player I am, so they try to improve my skills. They know that -- I'm not going to go five meters behind the line and I'm not going to spin the ball all over the court. It's not my style of the game.

They are not trying to teach me Spanish game or school. They know which player I am, so they try to improve the things that I need to improve.

What he teach me? He teach me everything. The way he see tennis is amazing. It's something I never heard from any coach the way he understand tennis, the way he understand mentality.

I mean, even when he was player, I think he was, I mean, first of all, he was really talented, but he had one of the best eyes on tour the way he saw the ball, even he know before player will make decision, he knew already where this player was going to hit and he was already waiting there. And it was amazing from him how he was reading the game.

I mean, he's trying to teach me, but I'm not that smart like him for the moment to understand it. But little by little, I start to -- I hope I start to learn.

Q. Three years ago you became the youngest quarterfinalist since Andy Roddick almost 20 years ago. Last year you beat Kyrgios and Tsitsipas. What is it about the US Open that brings out the best in you as compared with the other majors you have played in, especially in this crazy year here?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, all the majors are really special for me. Yeah, looks like with the US Open I have a special one, special relationship (smiling).

But, yeah, the atmosphere here always been great. A lot of people are coming to support and it's always amazing no matter where you go, which restaurant, you see always tennis. Something, I don't know in this atmosphere, you start to enjoy much more.

I mean, this year of course it's not the same, but still, they are trying to do best out of it, and I think they are doing. Yeah, I mean, just happens. I was trying to do my best to win these matches, and in the end, I did well.

But, yeah, there is still so many things to improve, so many things to learn. We'll see what's going to happen.

Q. But so many players have had to adapt this year and have struggled doing that, because it's such a different US Open. How have you mentally made the change from everything you said, not going to the restaurants, not having the fans?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I mean, because when I was in quarantine, I was having the same situation. I was living almost in a bubble, I was going only to the tennis court and then to the apartment. And like this for almost five months.

So in the end here, after the quarantine that I have been through, this looks amazing, because here you have so many things to do on-site. And then in the hotel you have also so many things. You have game rooms and people in general that you can talk finally.

Yeah, I mean, of course it's really sad that we cannot play in front of the crowd. That is really sad and it's really tough. But after five months, is better -- I mean, better to start this with something, you know. Better to start than to wait maybe four or five more months. Yeah, something like that.

Q. You played an Italian today. How was it? What do you expect against Berrettini if he wins, since you lost to Berrettini last year here in New York? Do you see improvement?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Let's talk first about Caruso. I knew it was going to be a tough match, because I know how competitive he is, that he's a fighter, that he have really amazing legs. He tried to bring all the balls back.

I was thinking that it's going to be really a tough match. But then somehow when I went on court I started to feel the ball well. Maybe he was a little bit more tight. And something, I don't know, everything was going fast, fast, fast on my side. And in the end, I was able to keep it under control to don't bring him back in the game. In the end, I was able to finish the match with confidence.

About Matteo, if he wins, it's going to be interesting. It's going to be the same stage like last year, and it's going to be the same match, the same round. The only difference is going to be that last year I think I was more under the pressure. Or not? I don't think. I don't remember.

Q. You were the favorite.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Maybe, yes, because I don't remember which ranking I was that moment. But I think, yeah, maybe I was more under the pressure.

And now he did last year semifinals, so now I have no pressure. He have all the pressure. So we'll see how it's going to be.

But for sure I hope it's going to be interesting match, and I hope people will enjoy to watching it.