The Hong Kong Open which is an ATP 250 event is going to make a comeback in the 2024 season; It was last organized in the year 2002. Andrey Rublev has committed to the event and will be the top-seeded player in the Men’s Singles category. The final draw for the tournament was announced on Saturday.
Andrey Rublev, the current World No. 5 is ready to kick off his season at Hong Kong. Rublev will get a bye in the first round. Earlier, he addressed a pre-match media and talked about a plethora of topics which included his mental strength going into the new season, anticipation for the relaunched Hong Kong Open, and expectations from the upcoming season.
The Russian phenomena enjoyed a successful 2023 campaign as he was able to win his first Masters titles at Monte-Carlo in France. He defeated the Danish, Holger Rune, in three sets with a score of 5–7, 6–2, 7–5. Although Rublev couldn’t qualify in the Top 4 in any of the Grand Slams, he reached the quarter-finals in three out of four.
The 26-year-old will aim to break the jinx of Grand Slam quarter-finals to finally compete with the very best as a Top 4. Speaking on his state of mind going into the coming season, Rublev made some bold comments. He said that he’s prepared to face anyone and doesn’t worry about the draw anymore.
“I feel now whoever I have in the draw doesn’t matter. If I’m smart and control my emotions, I’ll have the chance to win any match.”
Furthermore, he expressed his delight in being in Hong Kong and competing in the tournament. With the vision of challenging at the Australian Open, he said that a long run in this competition will help him immensely for the Grand Slam.
“I feel great, I’m happy to be in Hong Kong, The last two days of practice have been great. Goal here is of course to prepare as best as I can for Australia. If I can go deep, that’s perfect.”
Andrey Rublev highlighted that being well-prepared will be the key factor in determining his success in 2023. He said that he was ready for the exciting challenges he was about to face.
“It’s about whether I’m ready to fight, to accept all the challenges on court. If I’m not ready, I start to complain or lose control, then even as No.1 seed I’d lose anyway with this attitude. It’s all about what I need to focus on.”
“For the moment I’m really enjoying being back, enjoying the travel, playing different tournaments and enjoying what is inside of tennis.”
“I’m a bit pissed with Andrey Rublev sometimes…”, Andrey Rublev’s coach opines on his on and off-court behavior
Andrey Rublev’s current coach Fernando Vicente admitted that the Russian superstar needs to make some adjustments in his behaviour to truly be a dominant force.
Andrey Rublev is often considered one of the most selfless and caring tennis stars. The warm personality of Rublev is a key reason for his immense fan following. He is regularly spotted taking pictures and signing autographs for his followers.
Fernando Vicente has asked the Russian to learn to negatively answer or reject some proposals in order to find time and clarity for himself. He also said that always answering with a ‘Yes’ to his fans is eating up his time.
“I’m a bit pissed with him when sometimes… He’s always saying yes to everybody. He needs to be more selfish sometimes, I think. He’s spending a lot of hours with the fans.”
“He just can’t say no. When he says no, it’s because at the end, he is super-tired. But he’s always ready to do things for other people.”
