ATP Finals Player Profile: Andrey Rublev

Current Ranking: 5
W/L: 56-23
Titles: 2 (Monte-Carlo, Bastad)
Grand Slam Record: 14-4
ATP Finals Appearance: 4
Best Result: SF (2022)

Andrey Rublev started 2023 by launching his own clothing label. According to the self-proclaimed depressive, Rublo was created in the hopes of “making our world a better place.” Lofty ambitions for apparel to be sure. Even if he falls short, he can rest assured that the ATP is certainly better a place for having the dogged and passionate Russian among its ranks.

Rublev kept a busy schedule in 2023, and brought his lunch pail to just about every match. His subtlety-free approach—with the sound-effects to prove it—may lack variety, but it’s nonetheless effective. Rublev grinded his way to two clay-court titles this year, the biggest prize being in Monte-Carlo, his first career Masters 1000 trophy. All told, Rublev racked up a third consecutive 50+ match-win season, joining Stefanos Tsitsipas as the only players to do so.

Where Grand Slams were concerned, Rublev’s results had a familiar ring. He made the quarterfinals in three of the four tournaments, but no further, losing twice to Novak Djokovic and once to Daniil Medvedev. Rublev’s 0-9 career tally in that round at majors is a men’s Open Era record. A boxing fan—his father was a fighter—Rublev continues to pick himself off the canvas in the hopes of ending the streak.

He comes into his fourth ATP Tour finals ranked No. 5, tied for a career-best. He’s fresh on the heels of a semifinal run in the Paris Masters in which he gave Novak Djokovic all he could handle, and sparked internet debate over his unorthodox method for eating a banana. Win or lose in Turin, Rublev’s sure to get his cuts in.

Grab Rublev’s Gear

Nike Zoom Vapor 11 ($170) (Purchase now at TennisShop.com)

Even though Rublev no longer wears the Swoosh on his chest, he still opts for Nike footwear. This latest in the Vapor line is a dependable workhorse, designed to sit lower to the court than previous iterations for a quicker first step and improved explosiveness. The tongue now has a ½ inner sleeve or bootie construction for better comfort and ease of entry. The data-informed outsole design has had rubber removed in low wear areas to keep weight at a minimum, while allowing for optimal grip and sliding capabilities.