When Andrey Rublev’s legacy as a tennis player is assessed, it may not be measured by the weight of trophies in his collection.
After lifting his 18th ATP Tour title with a win at the Swedish Open on Sunday, Rublev confirmed he still has so much to offer on court as he reaches his prime years at the age of 28.
Yet when Rublev looks back on his story when his tennis career comes to an end, the trophy lifts and the moments of glory on court may not be his proudest achievement.
Instead, it is the Andrey Rublev Foundation that is likely to fill him with most pride, as the charity he set up continues to save and change lives of children all around the world.
Founded in 2024, the Foundation is dedicated to supporting children worldwide who are facing critical medical challenges and when we asked Andrey about his charity work, it was clear that his passion for the cause is unflinching.
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“I meet some of the kids that we help. I went to the hospital to visit them, to meet their parents and some of them were in a tough situation,” Rublev told Tennis365.
“Then later they show me photographs of the kids and some of them have made amazing progress with the help we can give them. Some make a big recovery and that is just amazing to see. They are healthy and everything is perfect.
“It looks like two different people when you see how sick they are and then what can happen if we can help them. I don’t do this for me, it is not about making myself happy. I am just happy for the kids and the families that we can help them.
“Whether it is me, the doctors, whoever can help them to get healthy, it doesn’t matter. We can all play a part, but it is amazing when you see them looking healthy after we have helped.”
This year, the Foundation partnered with Sant Joan de Deu Children’s Hospital in Barcelona to provide financial assistance for international patients seeking specialised treatment. Additionally, through their collaboration with CURE Uganda, they are funding pediatric surgeries for children in need.
Looking ahead, they are expanding our efforts with initiatives such as donations, exclusive events, and co-branded product launches with their partners.
Lisa Hernandez works with Rublev on his Foundation projects and she told Tennis365 that Rublev shies away from taking credit for the impact his Foundation is making, as he prefers to ensure the spotlight is focused on the doctors and children at the heart of this story.
“We’ve partnered with the leading paediatric hospitals, mainly in Europe,” explains Lisa, in an exclusive Tennis365 interview.
“These hospitals get around 1,500, 2,000 requests from international patients a year. So these are patients who are in their home country and need surgery or treatment from specialists, but these are specialists that are abroad. And once they leave their country, essentially, the health insurance doesn’t pay for it. Okay.
“So they need somebody to pay for these surgeries or treatments, and that’s kind of where we step in.
“We work directly with the hospitals, we work with the families, we typically go to meet, or I typically go to meet the families, and just review case by case and try to help.
“Andrey offers his support, but he never likes to take credit for what we are doing. That is not his motivation, but there have been some amazing stories.
“We had one girl from Buenos Aires, who had an inoperable brain tumour. She was receiving treatment in Buenos Aires and then she had to go abroad because they said there’s nothing else they can do, but there is a specialist in Barcelona, the Children’s Hospital there. The hospital then reached out to us.
“Andrey met with the family. He met with a little girl as well, and she is now fully recovered and in remission, and back in Buenos Aires, and doing really well. Amazing.”
Stories like that confirm that Rublev is leaving a bigger mark on the world than any win on a tennis court could achieve, with this champion one and off the court one of the true heroes of tennis.
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