THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2023

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/A. Bublik

7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Andrey Rublev.

Andrey, battle out there, but good to come through.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah. Obviously it was really good to come through, to win really tough match, especially Sascha beat me the last time, week ago in the final in Halle.

He was playing unbelievable. The way he served, the way he break your rhythm. It's tough to do something because he makes you go for the shot 50/50. On top of that, when he make good serve, good couple returns, on grass the match is done.

I was really happy today when he was shooting really hard that I was able to be focused, to manage to bring the balls back. In the end we had the drama match. But I was able to win it and I'm really happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said on the court you knew you had a lot of chances so you kept on thinking you'd get another one. How satisfied were you in a drama match that you were able to think that clearly?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, is like I said, the last time he beat me, so I knew that on grass he have really good chances to beat me, especially, like I said, the way he served, the way he's playing.

Then when we start to play today and during the match, I started to feel at least I need to give my best and we'll see what's going to happen. Then I start to feel that I am playing well. Somehow I win a set. I think I broke him in the middle of the second set, so it was two sets up.

I had some games that was I think it was 4-All, 30-40, second serve, so was break point for me. I didn't make that return.

Then the tiebreak I miss one easy forehand at 3-All. Then the set point forehand I get tight and I didn't really cover down the line, he make a passing. These kind of shots. Also the fourth set I had two match points where he played really well.

That's why I was saying to myself, Okay, first set I break him, second set I had break points, third and fourth set. At least keep playing the same way. At least you should have at least one chance.

In the end I think it was 3-All, I had the only one break point. I was able to return really well and to play aggressive point.

Q. Have you had a chance to look at the video of the next-to-last point?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I saw already, yes (smiling).

Q. What were your thoughts as you watched the replay? What feeling did it give you?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know. The feeling that at least I have one amazing point in my career (smiling).

But the feeling is that obviously all my life I didn't know how to dive. I was couple of times in the past years thinking, Oh, now on grass, at least try on practice, try without the ball to do it. I couldn't. I was too scared.

Then on the match against Goffin, I don't know, somehow it comes natural. I did a real dive. Then today was this one, I don't know, one-leg dive, something. I don't know how you can call it.

I don't know how I make it. I didn't even see the ball. I didn't even see how I hit it. I didn't even see how it went. I realize it after when the people start to scream and I see the face of Sascha, then I realize that I make it somehow.

Q. The interviewer called it maybe something we'll never see the likes of ever. What feeling do you have when she described it?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Amazing feeling. Obviously I don't know if I will ever feel this feeling also. At this score, final set, being on Centre Court at Wimbledon in front of all the crowd at this tight score in the end of the match, to make this shot, I don't know how many times in a life you will have those moments.

This moment for sure one of the highlight of my life.

Q. Did Sascha say anything at the end about that shot?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I think he said something, but I was too much in my head, too much emotions in my head, that I didn't remember.

For sure he said, yes, something about the shot, in general about the match. Yeah, was nice. I mean, was very, very respectful - how you say - handshake. Very respectful. Like he was also saying in Halle, we know each other since we almost start to play tennis. It's been long, long journey. I guess when Sascha is more serious, he's more focused, we can see which level of tennis he can brings.

He showed the last, I don't know, two and a half weeks that he can be a really, really great player.

Q. Last year you missed Wimbledon. This year you're performing well. Are you experiencing a sort of personal redemption?

ANDREY RUBLEV: What is 'personal redemption'?

Q. That you missed the chance last year, and this year you are performing well.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, in general I have a strange history with Wimbledon because I was injured couple of times, and I didn't play. The story was like this. I didn't play '18 because I have injury. I played '19. I didn't play '20 because of pandemic. I played '21. I didn't play last year because of the ban. This year I play.

Since 2018, I never played two years in a row. I mean, I'm just happy that finally I'm able to play here. Finally I did my first quarterfinal here. Finally I'm able to play all the season for the moment nonstop. I never had yet from January till the end of the season that I played full season - never - because of injuries or because of pandemic, or last year because they ban us.

I hope this will be the first-ever year that I play full season.

Q. You're well-known for your emotions. Is it easier on Centre Court in Wimbledon to stay 'calm' because it's so historic, so many traditions?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know. I want to say it's easier, but also I know myself and doesn't matter if it's Centre Court or not, sometimes I can explode.

But, yeah, I think it's my first quarterfinal that I feel the most proud of myself the way I was dealing with everything.

Q. If you could change one thing about tennis, what would you change?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know. No, I don't want to say (smiling). I would keep everything the same.

Q. What were you going to say?

ANDREY RUBLEV: All the high players will kill me to say, but one serve.

No, no, the only thing I would change about tennis is to don't change anything, especially the rules (smiling).

Q. You have your own clothing line. What have you learned that you didn't know before?

ANDREY RUBLEV: What I learn? For the moment, I didn't learn anything. For the moment I learn that I spend a lot of money (smiling).

We'll see. Hopefully, like I was saying, we're finishing the last steps before to launch. Hopefully everything will go good and we'll see how it's going to be.

Q. If you could preview the two different possibilities that you face. What are your thoughts about your next match?

ANDREY RUBLEV: What to say about next match? If it's Novak, Novak is one of the best player on grass, the player who last couple of years almost doesn't lose on grass. In my case, nothing to say. Just to go there and to try to do, to fight, do as best as I can my job.

If it's Hubie, I mean, we play couple of times, and we have really tough matches. He beat me some matches. I beat him couple of matches. But, again, he is a perfect player for grass. He have a huge, huge, huge serve. He likes to go for the shots. He likes to go for returns. I mean, on grass, I think it's really, really tough to play against him on grass.

We'll see.

Q. If it is Novak, to what degree do you try to block history out of your mind when you play him, or do you try to put it in your mind?

ANDREY RUBLEV: To be honest, I'm not really thinking about it because this is his history. He knows that he's one of the best players, especially at this place, at this court. Why I need to think about his achievement?

Me, I have to think about myself and to try to do my best, so... It's like, I don't know, if Novak start to think that I lost all my quarterfinals, he start to think about it. Okay, Andrey, he lost all his quarterfinals, now we play quarterfinals, so how is going to be?

Is the same.

Q. What do you think is the hardest thing about playing Novak Djokovic?

ANDREY RUBLEV: That he's one of the best. He doesn't really lose this year, especially on slams. All the slams that he played, he won. That's the toughest things.

Q. In terms of his game, mental strength?

ANDREY RUBLEV: The game? The thing is he have perfect game because he really, really have really good legs. He really knows how to use the speed of the players.

Sometimes as hard as you play to him, is more comfortable also for him. With the legs, with his legs, he's using your speed and he's playing without mistakes. In the end he's forcing you to go for extra shots and you are missing.

Then he serve really, really good. He serve all directions, close to the lines, with a very high first-serve percentage. It's, like, tough to break him.

Then you have the guy who returns almost everything with amazing legs. You have to play really, really great match.