Rublev aims to surpass this year's performance in 2021

Thursday, 26 November 2020 at 13:30

Andrey Rublev Roland Garros 2020 5f7d8bf2b1d65

Although Andrey Rublev won only one match in his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, the Russian still had an exceptional season as he broke into the Top 10 for the first time in his career.

In addition to ending the year ranked a career-high World No.8, the 23-year old also finished the season with a Tour-leading five titles and an impressive 41 match wins. After winning his fifth trophy at the Vienna Open in October, the Russian was able to secure his spot at the ATP Finals for the first time in his career.

"Qualifying for the ATP Finals is the moment we are playing for and we are working for. I am grateful for everything that I am experiencing, for everything that I have been through. I am grateful for the team that I have and for the friends that are around me because they support me a lot. We have the same vision and they give me a lot of energy. I am where I am today because of them. I have been working very hard. With all the support around me, it gives me double energy and double motivation. I am not alone and when you are not alone, it is much easier and you are much stronger”, said Rublev.

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After going 0-2 in his group, the Roland Garros quarterfinalist was able to defeat US Open champion Dominic Thiem in his final round-robin match.

“Although I had no chances to reach the semifinals, every match is important because of those 200 points you can win," Rublev revealed. "It’s more than finishing runner-up in the ATP 250 final. The points will stay on your tally for the entire season, and that’s a massive advantage”.

Considered to be the breakout star of the season, Rublev hopes to work on various aspects of his game during the off-season. The 23-year old aims to improve and come back stronger in 2021.

“I am grateful for everything that’s happened to me," Rublev stated. "I won more tournaments this year than the previous years combined. I can still improve my things and that’s the main goal in the off-season. I am motivated to improve the main parts of my game before we start the new season. Physically, I still can be much faster and improve my defense. Among the top-10 players, I am still one of the worst in this aspect. I can improve my serve, volley, return, slice, backhand and forehand”.

Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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