NITTO ATP FINALS

November 16, 2022

Andrey Rublev

Pala Alpitour, Torino

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/A. Rublev

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Tough luck today, Andrey. Next match against Tsitsipas, what kind of match do you expect?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know to be honest. I'm still not thinking my next match. I'm still thinking, analyzing about, yeah, the match that I lost to Novak.

We'll see. I mean, they still have to play with Daniil. Depends how they do. I will start to think what to expect and how is going to be the match.

Obviously I will do my best for the last match. No matter result, I will do my best, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Playing against Novak is sometimes impossible. At a certain point he has a click and not missing one single shot. Did you feel that today? Which is the most difficult thing to face?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I think today the match was only one set because the second I completely burned out. There was no even tennis. Everything was clear.

The first set, I mean, like you said, the most tough to face against Novak, especially on this surface that we are playing here, is his serve. The way he serve is really high percentage, all the directions, everything really close to the lines. I didn't even had almost chance on the first set to do something. Maybe there was one 30-All, 15-All, but nothing special, yeah. So that's it.

Q. You said the other day that you've been working on controlling your emotions. Can you talk a little bit about what that work involves. Is it something you do off the court? Before the matches? Watching videos?

ANDREY RUBLEV: A little bit of everything. Obviously off the court. Also typical situations in life when you are stressed or when you, I don't know, have some problems. Even try to face them calm in a real life because happens every day. I don't know, someone cross you with a car and you get frustration, you know? Try to face it, and doesn't matter, face it calm. Even those things can help you.

Also obviously working more specific with the guys. Also on the court, to start to do it on a practice. You can do it every day by yourself, plus like you say doing videos and meditations, stuff like that.

So there is plenty of things.

Q. Do you feel there is a gap between you, who are one of the top players in the world, and Novak? Apart from today or the second set. It's not just you, but all the others, when you play indoors, Djokovic is always the strong favorite. Do you feel like that or you don't?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know, to be honest. I mean, obviously Novak and Rafa, they always favorite no matter the tournament they playing. Everyone expect them to do final always between them.

I mean, the rest, I don't even know what to say because Novak is one of the greatest. Every tournament that he plays, he's the favorite.

Q. Indoor?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Indoor, doesn't matter. The results of him, Rafa, Roger, the greatest results in history. Doesn't matter the surface or outdoor or indoor, everyone expect them to go final minimum and face each other.

So I don't know what to answer (smiling).