Andrey Rublev took a few steps back in his career in 2025 and now he has been given some advice by former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash as he looks to get back to the top in this new season.
The Russian finished in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings for five years starting from 2020, but he struggled to find his best form for large sections of last season and headed into the new year looking to make up ground on players who have leapt ahead of him.
Rublev was one of the players who would have been hoping to have his day in the spotlight when the era dominated by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic came to an end, but he has been left in the rear view mirror by some of the game’s young and rising stars.
Now 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has suggested Rublev could challenge the new generation in men’s tennis by adding some variety to his game, as he suggested he should make bette use of his net game.
“He’s a great ball striker and has had some great results, but he is one of those players who is looking to make a breakthrough at the very top,” Cash told Tennis365, in his role as an ambassador for the Bank of China Hong Kong Open. “He has been to so many quarter-finals in the Slams and he needs to find a way to get over that hurdle.
More Tennis News
Who is Coleman Wong? Rising star shining at home Hong Kong event
“Rublev can bludgeon you into submission from the back of the court and he is actually very good at the net. He is a very good doubles player and that is an obvious area he could add to his game.
“It feels like he is a lucent volleyer, but he doesn’t need to be in my view.
“I look at Alex de Minaur and the way he has developed his game and maybe Rublev could learn from him. Alex is a great mover, he has added more to his game in recent years and you can see where he is in the rankings now.
“That’s the kind of player Rublev could look to and try and to add some layers to his game, but you look at De Minaur and he is also struggling to get past quarter-finals in the Slams.
“We look at the top players and they make it easy to get to the latter stages of all the big tournaments, but it’s not easy and Rublev and De Minaur confirm that.”
Rublev has been working hard on his game in the off-season with coach Marat Safin, and he told former British No 1 Greg Rusedski that he has been suffering ahead of the 2026 season.
“For me, it’s crazy because now with Marat and members of my team, they are killing me,” said Rublev, speaking on the Off Court with Greg podcast.
“I can’t remember another year when they have done this to me. It is fitness to begin with for two and a half hours. Then it is tennis for two hours and he is killing me.
“No mistakes from the baseline, high intensity from the baseline until you make it. This push is all for me. It is always about yourself.”
Pat Cash and Mark Woodforde spoke to Tennis365 at the Bank of China Hong Kong Open
READ NEXT: Andrey Rublev identifies why Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a big advantage over the rest
The post Andrey Rublev gets some candid advice from a former Wimbledon champion at Hong Kong Open appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply