DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 29, 2024

Andrey Rublev

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/S. Korda

6-4, 4-3 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: You want to be able to win a match by completing it, but just your thoughts on how you were playing today.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I think today the game was not very good, but not because of the level or something. The conditions were super tough. It was really windy. Was a lot of sun with the shadow on the court. Was tough to see the ball. But for both of us.

You can see was for him as well tough with the wind. A couple times he missed return because the wind start to, I don't know, move the ball a lot. I was feeling the same. Couple of shots I hit completely late.

When it's these kind of conditions, the tennis is always not that beautiful. You need to find a way. You have to accept that this is the way it is today.

Sometimes today I was lucky as well because of those conditions. In important moments the ball moved because of the wind and he couldn't play well. It helped me a lot today.

In the end, of course, you never want to finish in that way. All I can say is I hope there is nothing serious with Sebastian and he will be ready for Indian Wells 100%.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. He's been playing very well coming into the tournament. When did you think there was something wrong with him?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I didn't realize till the moment he told me he's finishing, because he was serving quite hard, he was hitting quite hard the ball. I didn't notice any of the problem during the match. It's only when he told me he's finishing.

Q. Andy has said that it would be his last few months on tour. I just want to know your thoughts on him and if you've ever spoken to him about it.

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, we haven't spoke to each other about those things. I don't know. I mean, it's not easy to say because I don't know what he's feeling.

Of course, obviously I don't know how many times he played a final, slam winner, No. 1 in the world. Sometimes to lose second rounds, not to do the same results as you used to do all the time, of course it's tough mentally and it's not easy. Of course, I don't know what his thoughts in the head.

I don't think his age is like huge enough to say, No, you need to stop. We can see Gael is 38 and he's fit as 20-years-old player. I don't know.

Of course, like I said, when you losing sometimes the tournaments earlier than you expect, of course you start to think maybe it's better to stop.

Who knows? Maybe now next tournaments he start to finish or he do well, then he will say, There is no reason to finish. It happened to Fele this. He was saying to me that, I think it's my last season, then he won Queen's for the second time. He was for the next year guaranteed top hundred and he was able to play all the slams main draw, so he still played one more year.

You never know...

Q. On Andy again, obviously he's come back from a surgery, two hip surgeries. Is he an inspiration in the locker room? Is there any kind of conversation about him? What are your thoughts on that?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know about the locker rooms. But I think for sure he become a huge inspiration. I think he won a lot of respect from spectators and in general from the sport supporters. After the hip, both hips surgery, where he have now iron hips, he was able to come back and he was able to win a titles. It's something unreal.

I think for sure he become a huge inspiration after this.