QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 19, 2024

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I was just wondering about the ATP's top 10, which doesn't have a single-handed backhand, Andrey. This week that changed. The ATP's top 10, the singles, it doesn't have a single-handed backhand in the top 10.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Stefanos, no? The question is?

Q. What do you think about that? Is it too difficult really? Is it taught? Did you ever try that as a child?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know, to be honest. From one point of view, some shots are more difficult, but from another point of view, some shots are more easy. Like acceleration-wise, opening the court is more easy with one hand. To play high from the net with spin is more easy with one hand. But some balls if you play high or something is more easy to step in and to play with two hands.

So you have your minuses and pluses. Then it's just whoever likes more. I don't think that there is better or worse. If you're one-handed, is just what you prefer. And that's it.

There is a lot of good players with two hands, a lot of good players with one hand, a lot of good players with no backhand at all and a really good forehand. I'm one of them (smiling).

It's just whatever. Everyone is trying to use his advantages. Like I said, one-hand or two-hand, there is some pluses that only one-hand players have. There is some minuses that also one-hand players have, and the same for the players who have two hands. There is some pluses and some minuses.

Q. Also about your game, where do you see it now? Looking forward to this tournament?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yes, I'm looking forward to this tournament. I want to try to play good. I want to try to show great level.

I don't know. I see myself at a good moment, so we'll see. We'll see how it's going to be this week.

I just want to try to do my best, to have a feeling that I left the court with no regrets and that, I would say, is the most goal for me for this week, is just to leave the match with feeling inside that I did my best. And if the player was better today, credit to him. If I was able to win, then even better.

Q. I also want to ask you about your generation of players. As it stands now, you guys have one Grand Slam title with Daniil. Whereas the younger lot with Alcaraz and Sinner and Rune, they have three. So in a sense, do you think with every generation that the younger lot, they get fearless? What do you think really is the difference between those two?

ANDREY RUBLEV: It's the question that is not easy to answer. First of all, I think to be a couple years younger, it's a perfect timing, because that top 3 is finishing exactly. They are super talented. Rune, Sinner, Alcaraz, the other players, they are super talented. They start to use the things in the better way since the beginning in terms of practice, in terms of choosing the team.

Because still when I was starting to play, many things were new for me and tennis is changing, because I remember when I was starting and I was coming to the top 100 or I was making inside the top 100, they were saying, like, now it's a history record of top 100 players over 30 or something like that.

Now is a lot of young players that are inside the top 100, a lot of players who was never been before top 100, because the generation is changing, and they are now able to get inside the top 100.

So I think it's everything. First of all, they are super talented and they are really great players. On top of that, they have a perfect moment where the last generation is finishing, almost finishing. Because when I was starting, they still were playing, they were still on the top and they were always winners between Rafa, Novak, Roger, and Andy. They were top 4 that were winning all the tournaments.

Now every week is someone new. Yeah, so I think all those things makes the difference.

Q. Do you know Rohan Bopanna well? Are you friends with him?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah.

Q. I just wanted to ask you about him. He's World No. 1 obviously in the doubles, and he has a single-handed backhand, if you can comment about that.

ANDREY RUBLEV: What can I say? I play him couple of times against him. I lost to him couple of times. I think one I remember for sure a win in Madrid final, but what to say? It's amazing achievement to be No. 1 at this age.

It's I think proves and gives extra confidence to the players that everything is possible, that tennis becoming because of the, like I said, of the now with more experience, the players, they know more what to do, which team to have around that will help them to have a longer career, and we can see that it's working.

Gael is, he's what, 39, I think? Or turning 39 this year. He's playing unbelievable. You feel that he's not this age. You feel like he's still 30. He's really dangerous, and he, to perform couple of weeks or some matches when he's in the moment, is so tough to beat him.

And he prove it by beating already last year great players. This year he had already good matches.