Andrey Rublev has opened up about his losing streaks in Grand Slam quarter-finals and said the pressure has been too overwhelming.
Since reaching the US Open quarter-final in 2017, Rublev has reached this stage six more times throughout his career, including most recently at the 2023 Australian Open when he lost to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. However, the Russian player has never progressed past the quarter-final stage in any Grand Slam after losing at this point seven out of seven times.
It has been a source of torment for the world number six, who has consistently competed at the top level and won an Olympic gold medal in 2021. However, in an interview with the Guardian, Rublev explained that he is his own worst enemy when it comes to handling the expectation of these high-pressure matches.
"Those matches were really, really disappointing to me because in the end, I lost them because of myself. I felt that I had chances to be in the semis but I couldn’t handle the pressure. I couldn’t even play. I was not playing because of my emotions. In the end, of course I was disappointed a lot. It took me a while to recover.”
But, despite the psychological negativity that has hindered Rublev, he still believes he can overcome his issues through hard work and analysis with the support of his team moving forward.
"In the end, I wanted it so badly that I couldn’t handle the pressure during the matches, I was not really playing, I was completely tight and full of negative emotions that, in the end, it was not even giving me chances to win a match.”
"It’s being honest with yourself, being honest with your team, listening to them and being open to tell them your fears and what is happening in your head, and then to analyse together what you can do better or how you can do better. Then also, some meditation. [And in] moments when you’re really pissed outside the court and life, try to not be negative.”
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