'I'm Top 10 But Still Called Zverev Or Tsitsipas': Rublev On Being Mistaken For His Looks

Saturday, 29 July 2023 at 09:30

byNurein Ahmed

Andrey Rublev says he is still being mistaken for looking like fellow ATP pros Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas despite becoming a Top-10 mainstay in the world rankings.

Speaking to Tennis Weekly Podcast after winning the Nordea Open in Bastad this past week, Rublev says he's not surprised that people and fellow players still don't recognize him fully after a photo of him was circulating on social media and had fans thinking he looked like Zverev.

Rublev admits he has been a victim of mistaken identity for some time in the locker room, with players and fans often confusing Rublev's looks and haircut to those of his fellow counterparts Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and even Jannik Sinner.

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"I don't know how..everyone calls me Zverev, Sinner, Shapovalov, Tsitsipas. Almost everyone. At least when I'm 50 in the world, and they call me Zverev, it's okay, he's much more famous or even Tsitsipas. But I'm at least top 10 and still call me the same, nothing changed.''

— Rublev spoke of locker room mistaken identity

Rublev was quizzed on whether he played his best tennis in his 7-6, 6-0 thumping of Casper Ruud in the final. It was the Russian's second title of the season, both coming on clay and taking him to fourth place in the ATP Race. Rublev said the chilly conditions certainly helped his fast-paced ground strokes against Ruud's ineffective high topspin.

"I liked to play in the conditions like the ones in the final. Like when it's cold and wet weather. The clay is heavy. It's tougher to accelerate and the ball is not jumping that high. I feel like everything is slower and I have much more time to return, to attack. I like those conditions and it was similar conditions when I played the Monte Carlo semis against Fritz when it was also raining."