OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 12, 2024

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

A. POPYRIN/A. Rublev

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: First of all, not the result you were hoping for, Andrey, for tonight, but still hopefully a very positive week for you here in Montreal.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, of course. It's a very positive and really good week. Really big step forward I think, and I feel proud of myself that I was able to be really good all the week mentally.

Even today because if we took me back a couple of months ago or even one month ago or even compare my match against him at Monte Carlo when I was losing, I was behaving ten times more, and it was first round.

Here it was a final. Much more pressure. Yes, I still showed a bit emotions today, but compare the matches when I was losing the same way, I think I did much better job. That's why I had a little chance in the second set, but it was just not my time I guess.

I was not ready to use that chance. That's it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What makes the difference for you tonight?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Alexei, first of all, played unbelievable tennis. I was not serving well. Of course, when I was not serving well and I start not good, you start to feel too many thoughts in your head.

He was playing even more confident. All the important moments he played really well. Then when I was able to calm myself down and just play tennis, I was losing with a break in the second, and I was able to come back.

There I had a chance. I had a moment, but I was not ready, and that's it. I didn't play well again that game. I did mistakes, and he broke me straight away.

So I would say that's the difference between really top players because when they're struggling and finally they are able to turn a bit to the equal score, they are using their chances. I couldn't. That's it, very simple.

Q. Andrey, you certainly didn't have the start of the match you wanted. You lost the first seven points. Then you lost the first two games. From here when we were watching, it looked like you became impatient quite quickly. Could you describe exactly what was going through your mind?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah. Like I said, when all the matches you were playing well or you were starting the matches well and stuff like that, and suddenly you start with two mistakes, two double faults. I mean, which is normal. It's a final. You can be nervous, but still very obvious mistakes.

Then the next game you see that he is serving really hard, really well, playing well. It's like you start to have too much thoughts. It's like I need to -- if I don't start to do something to raise my level, it's going to be over very fast.

Yeah, it took me one set. I had a little chance in the first set to come back break points, but he played them unbelievable. He make aces.

That's it. The first set was done. Then I was able to calm myself down when I went to the bathroom, and that's why, like I said, I had little chance when I broke him back at 3-2 when he went a bit more down.

I start to feel like, Okay, I'm here back, I'm now more pumped. But then as soon as the score become equal, I couldn't. That was the difference.

Q. You told us yesterday I think that sometimes you feel more stressful when you are the favorite in a game. Sometimes you like to be the underdog. Was this the case tonight?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't think that was the case tonight. It's just me with myself. I couldn't handle I guess, and that's it. So it's not that I was favorite or not favorite.

It's just more that I was probably after all the matches feeling, okay, I'm playing really well, I deserve to have full week, you know, and in the end I kill myself (laughing).

Q. I don't want to take away anything from your opponent, but it's pretty clear and I think in your analysis also that you didn't play the tennis that you played at the last three or four matches. Do you agree with this, and is this a problem of confidence?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yes, I agree with that. Of course, problem of confidence. Still problem of, I would say, emotions, to put them in the right way. I think I did huge emotional improvement, but still those things now I need to take a good lesson.

I know which lesson I need to take from this match and just to keep moving. I've been doing since I start, yeah, to be more clear in my head since Bastad, every week I'm doing better and better.

This week no one expect that I will arrive to the final, and we did it. So I'm back in a good position in terms of ranking. So I want to focus, keep improving all the now mistakes that I'm doing.

We just need to take right lesson and keep going because in the end, I mean, if you ask me to play final every week and to lose, I will also prefer to play final every week and to lose than to play one final in a while (laughing).

Q. You said that probably, I don't know, a few months ago you would have behaved ten times worse. Is maybe this improvement the thing that you are most proud of you?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, yeah, of course. Like I say, since I start to be more clear in my head, every week I'm doing better and better. This week I feel really proud of myself.

I feel really proud in some things that I was able to kind of react in a good way in some moments, in some matches because normally I would react completely different way. I guess I would not be finalist.

So I'm really proud that I was able to react in the right way, and it make me grow. The final, still need to learn a bit more (laughing). Still not enough.

Q. Andrey, if you are able to get us to the emotion of the overall week, it was kind of a weird week with the rain delays and the multiple games. If you're able to just get us through your week.

ANDREY RUBLEV: My week, what can I say? I'm, like I said, just now I feel proud. I feel happy. Of course, you always want to win.

It's normal feeling for the tennis, but from the other side we cannot win every week. Every week we have to lose, and to lose in the final, it's also nice achievement.

I think the most important is the way you lose. If you accept the things and if you are ready to learn, it kind of can give you a huge jump in front. So I will just focus now to take a really good lesson.

The week has been amazing for me for my tennis, for my improvement, for my ranking. So just, yeah, take a lesson, to make of this lesson improvement, and be ready for the most important tournament is US Open.

So to get ready as best shape and best mental part as possible. I still have one more tournament, Cincinnati. So I will go there free just to play tennis. We'll see how it goes. I don't have much time to adapt, but we will see.

It's tough tournament, tough draw. So I just go there. I will try to enjoy. We'll see what's going to happen if I try just to enjoy next week.

Q. I think we saw after the third game of the second set -- I think we saw a doctor. Was there a medical break at some point?

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, not medical. It was not medical break. I just asked for the tablets to adjust the stomach, the food. So nothing serious.

Q. So you are okay?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I was completely okay.