THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 11, 2023

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/A. Rublev

4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3

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

Andrey, your initial thoughts on tonight's match.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know. I feel, hmmm, both feelings. I think I feel my first quarterfinal that I feel proud of myself. Then, of course, you wanted to win. I was doing everything to try to win this match.

I feel, of course, disappointed in the same time because I feel that every time I had a little, little bit of chance or something, or I was a bit too tight, that I didn't go enough for that shot, or I was going for that shot and I was missing a little bit.

Every time when he had a chance, this little chance, he make them, all of them. We talk about third set, every time I had a little Love-30 or break point or something, I was missing a bit. Then when he had his chance, he make it.

That was the difference.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you compare Novak right now to other times in his career? Is he doing everything different?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know. I feel like he's playing better and better compare our matches.

I think today I was, for the first time, ready enough to play good match against him. The previous matches mentally I was not ready at all. Even the match that I beat him in Serbia, I was just lucky. I don't know, he was just not playing. On top of that, he was tired in end of the match. It's not because of my game or something.

I think today was the first time that I was ready to play, and I was there, and I had these little chances that in the end I didn't make them. He make them. That's why he's the Novak, one of the greatest players in history.

Q. During the ATP Finals, you talked about your nerves with the other players, how nervous you are when you step on court. Was it even worse here on Wimbledon when you're facing Novak?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Of course I was nervous. It's normal when you go to play the player that never -- I don't know, not never, but didn't lose for a long time. He's on grass playing best tennis ever.

Of course you feel nervous because I have also ambitions. I want to go as deep as possible. Of course I was tight. But, like I said, I hope I realize one good thing, I hope I realize two and a half weeks ago one good thing. I hope that give me a little bit improvement in mental part.

We'll see. We'll see in the second part of the season if I really realize it or not.

Q. When you do everything you can and Novak is still almost impossible to beat, how does that feel?

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, the feeling was is just, let's say, was these moments because there was one side when we were returning with the wind. For both of us was easier to create opportunity for break. In the end I didn't make them and he make them.

I had a lot of break points, especially third set. The first game I had forehand and I miss a little bit. Then I had two break points and I didn't make forehand. On top of that, he played well, as well.

When he had this situation, in the end he make it. And me, I didn't serve that well. I didn't hit that hard. The same story was at 5-4 when we played a long, long, long game. I had so many chances. In the end every time I had chance, I didn't make it because I get tight, I was thinking, This point I need to wait for my moment. Maybe he make a good serve.

In the end, it's like this. In the end, it's tennis.

Q. How different has it been this year, having not been here last year, how much of a distraction that's been?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know, to be honest. Of course, last year I was set not to play one of the best tournaments in our sport.

But being here this year, I felt grateful. I'm happy that I was able to give really, really good two weeks of my tennis. I'm happy that I was able I think for the first time to did my best quarterfinal so far compare all the rest quarters that I did.

This one I feel proud of myself for the first time.

Q. Have you felt the support?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I felt really great support during all these two weeks. Today, as well. Is like I was saying, to be from the country where I am, to have this support, it's special.

I don't know, I feel sometimes I don't deserve it or something like that. To have it, I don't know... I don't know what you need to do to have this support. I'm really grateful for this.

Q. If there was one thing that makes it so hard to play him, what would that one thing be?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Against Novak?

Q. Yes.

ANDREY RUBLEV: How he focus in those moments, in the crucial moments. Sometimes you feel like, Okay, I'm there, I have chances. In the end, like I said, all his chances a little bit I didn't make it. He have these little chances, and he make it.

It's about, yeah, focus and all these things. Experience. Yeah, these things impressive a lot. That's why he's the greatest player. In the end those moments are counts. Doesn't matter how you hit. When you're winning or when you're losing, it's matter in those moments. Those moments is the real tennis.

Q. The way you just talked about your home country, it seems like you feel guilty being from Russia.

ANDREY RUBLEV: No. I mean, I don't know what to say. I did so many statements. I think my opinion is very clear, so...

It's not guilty. It's more just the situation is terrible. Of course, you don't wish this to anyone. You want these, I don't know, terrible things to be able to finish as fast as possible for all the people in the world just to have a chance to have a good life.

Q. After Monte-Carlo, has that changed your mental game?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I would not say it's after Monte-Carlo. I would say, like I was saying couple of times before, after Monte-Carlo I start to feel more confident with the things I was doing off the court on practices.

I change almost all the team in the beginning of the season. During the practices, I felt that was something that I was looking for. I don't know why, I'm in a good way. Okay, maybe results is not what I would like to have. But I feel on practices, this is something I was looking for a long time.

The result in Monte-Carlo just give me much more confidence that this is the way, that we have to work even harder, even smarter, but in this way. That's it.

The last two weeks, I would say it's more about something with myself that I realize one thing that click in my head. At least for these two weeks, it help me a lot.