Is this the start of a turnaround for Andrey Rublev?
Managing tough moments more calmly, Andrey Rublev won the Doha title and he may just start climbing up the rankings again.
Laurent Lairys / Psnewz
You have to go back to his title run at Monte-Carlo in 2023, to find the last time Andrey Rublev won three deciding sets at the same event.
He did it again this week in Doha, saving a match point against Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals before getting past the Aussie in a third-set tiebreak, then defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in another third-set tiebreak (in the semis), before tackling Jack Draper in the final (7-5, 5-7, 6-1).
A gritty effort if there ever was one.
And a sign that Rublev is coming through the tough moments once again. He had not won a deciding set since last September, and had lost his last five.
The victory in Doha is big on many levels for Rublev. It’s the first time he has ever won the same title twice, as he won in Qatar in 2020, but it’s also important for his ranking. Rublev leapfrogs Tommy Paul and jumps to No 9 this week, ensuring that his impressive streak of weeks in the top 10 will continue.
The Russian has not been outside of the top 10 since the 2022 US Open, and it was looking like he may fall out.
Better mental health, better tennis
Now, with a 17th career title under his belt, things look different for the 27-year-old. He seems to be in a much better place mentally, not stressing over the little things, and it could be a difference-maker for him in 2025.
There are two realities facing Rublev right now. He could remain stale, not address his problems in a meaningful way, and fall out of the top 10 to never return; or, he could resume the rise that took him to the top 5 in 2021, and kept him there for many weeks between 2021 and early 2024.
Thrown off track by an unfortunate temper tantrum that led to his disqualification in Dubai last year, and hampered by his many on-court mental meltdowns, Rublev admitted that his mental health was in a bad place last year.
He talked openly about his issues with mental health and depression last year, and set his goal of being “healthy mentally” in 2025.
To help stay calmer on court, Rublev has been doing breathing exercises during changeovers, and while he’s not sure if he’s found a long-term solution, he does believe he is gaining some benefit.
“For the moment looks like it’s a little bit better, but I’m still getting frustrated, I’m still getting pissed, but looks like I’m more stable,” he said this week.
More important than the level of efficacy is the fact that Rublev is actively trying to tame his volatility on court. He knows he can hurt himself by losing focus and wasting energy, so it’s great to see him evolving and attacking his biggest problem.
Judging from the smile on his face in Doha after coming through so much stress and tension to claim the title, it appears that Rublev has succeeded, at least for now, in finding a kinder, gentler competitive posture. When he’s in that happy place we can feel the difference in his tennis. No longer his own worst enemy, Rublev can actually solve problems on court, rather than blow up in futility.
It was refreshing to see him get through so many tough moments this week. Saving match points, winning deciding-set tiebreaks, dealing with momentum changes and difficult moments (like failing to convert his first seven match points against Alex de Minaur) are all good signs.
It feels like a new beginning for Rublev this week, and if he can stay “healthy mentally” his rise could continue.
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