Andrey Rublev: the likeable hard worker tennis fans are willing to succeed

Is it possible to work too hard? It’s a question many ask about Andrey Rublev, the HEAD tennis ambassador who has worked so hard but has yet to pick up his full rewards. He has reached 10 Grand Slam quarter-finals, has won two Masters-1000 titles, and has been ranked as high as five – yet a frustration always seems to overcome Rublev at the sharp end of major tournaments.

Andrey Rublev clenches his fist in celebration on a blue hard court, wearing a light blue HEAD-sponsored kit and headband.

Les joueurs professionnels HEAD peuvent jouer avec des raquettes différentes du modèle présenté.

His work ethic makes him the perfect fit for HEAD, as HEAD’s Director of Pro Players and Product Test Management, Thomas Bischof, confirms.

"Andrey is a young, aspiring, very ambitious and success-oriented player who works meticulously down to the last detail on his racquet and tries everything to be 100 per cent satisfied with the product. In this, he mirrors HEAD’s approach to its products, and we are very comfortable working with him."

Thomas Bischof

Director of Pro Players and Product Test Management, HEAD

There are times, however, when Rublev doesn’t appear comfortable in his own skin. He has shown a tendency to get very down on himself in matches, and has worked to develop a more relaxed attitude when he doesn’t live up to the high expectations he sets for himself.

Godfather with a massive forehand

Rublev was born in Moscow in October 1997. His father was a professional boxer, and his grandfather played tennis alongside coaching Greco-Roman wrestling. But his mother, Marina Marenko, is the primary tennis influence – she coached at the Spartak Club in Moscow, nurturing players like Anna Kournikova and her own son. Andrey became world number one junior after winning the boys’ singles at Roland-Garros in 2014 aged just 16.

In 2016, Rublev made a brave decision, one that changed the course of his career. Aged 18, he decided to train at the 4Slam Tennis Academy in Barcelona, under the direction of Galo Blanco. It was there that he met his coach, Fernando Vicente, and the two have been inseparable since. In November 2020, Vicente was voted ATP Coach of the Year.

Andrey Rublev strikes a forehand on a blue hard court, racquet extended toward the ball.

Les joueurs professionnels HEAD peuvent jouer avec des raquettes différentes du modèle présenté.

Blessed with aggressive groundstrokes, notably a massive forehand, and an ultra-attacking attitude, Rublev was the first of a trio of Russians to break through (alongside Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov – Rublev is close to both, and is godfather to Medvedev’s daughter Alisa). He reached the quarter-finals at the 2017 US Open, and was runner-up at the NextGen Finals in 2017, ending the year ranked 39. A stress fracture in his back and a wrist injury slowed his progress, but when he beat Roger Federer in Cincinnati in 2019, he was clearly back on track, and after winning his second tour title in Moscow, Rublev ended the year ranked 23.

In 2020, he moved his game up another level, winning five titles – more than any other player – and qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals for the first time. In 2021, he first sported the colours of the HEAD Gravity at the Monte Carlo Masters, and the following year he picked up another four titles, establishing himself in the world’s top 10. In early 2023, he won his first Masters-1000 title in Monte Carlo, following up with his second in Madrid a year later.

His consistency at the majors was astonishing, yet there seemed a barrier at the quarter-final stage. Between the French Open of 2022 and the Australian Open of 2024, Rublev reached six out of seven Grand Slam quarters (he wasn’t allowed to play at Wimbledon in 2022 because of a ban on Russian and Belarussian players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), yet couldn’t break through. He came closest at Roland-Garros in 2022, but he played a poor fifth-set tiebreak against his fellow HEAD ambassador, Marin Čilić.

A gold Olympian

Alongside his singles titles are a handful of doubles titles, including a Masters-1000 crown with Khachanov, and a mixed doubles Olympic gold medal from Tokyo with another compatriot, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. That’s not a bad haul, yet the best may be yet to come.

Rublev is a man who works hard, hits the ball hard, and tries hard, week-in week-out, yet remains humble, admitting he needs to work on every aspect of his game if he wants to get to the top. That’s quite an admission for someone who might just have the best forehand in the game. He is immensely likeable, even when he is getting frustrated with himself. If his hard work, willingness to take risks, and dedication to making the most of his talent does lead him to a Grand Slam title, the entire tennis world will be happy for him.

Andrey Rublev slices a backhand on a red clay court, wearing a teal kit and headband.

Les joueurs professionnels HEAD peuvent jouer avec des raquettes différentes du modèle présenté.

When a company is looking for a public figure to represent its brand, it wants someone with personality, with desire and with a work ethic that matches its own. In Andrey Rublev, HEAD has found the perfect match – and at HEAD, Rublev has the ideal tools for his trade.