Andrey Rublev is going through a very delicate period in his career and needed a change, because his results at the beginning of 2025 have not been particularly brilliant. Apart from his surprising victory at the Doha ATP 500 – where Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic were also present – the Russian ace has almost never expressed his best tennis in other tournaments.
The player from Moscow was eliminated by Joao Fonseca in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open, failing in the slightest to crack the certainties of the young Brazilian star who prevailed in three sets despite having no experience in such a prestigious event.
Not even the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami were favorable to Andrey, who proved to be very far from superior in his current crisis. On the eve of the start of the season on the red clay, he made a very important decision by announcing the entry of Marat Safin into his team.
His compatriot had given him some really valuable advice in the past, but now he will be able to work closely with a player with a difficult personality and who needs help especially from a psychological point of view.
Rublev wants to shine again
Interviewed by the Russian media these days, Rublev revealed some details about his new collaboration with Safin: “The practice sessions are organized a little differently than before. We are working a lot on the athletic part, because Marat wants me to move faster on court.
We are also focusing on other aspects such as trajectories and the placement of shots. All this work serves to make me a more effective and unpredictable player.”
Despite his results being quite disappointing so far, the 27-year-old Russian is still in the Top 10 of the ATP ranking but will have to be careful in the upcoming tournaments.
The former world number 5 will have to defend his title at the Mutua Madrid Open in a few weeks and will not be able to afford further drops if he does not want to lose many positions in view of Roland Garros.
