Andrey Rublev’s long wait for a first big title is finally over.
Two years after he first made the final in Monte Carlo, Rublev beat Holger Rune of Denmark 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 to win his first Masters 1000 final, at the third time of asking, and disprove the old adage that nice guys finish last.
The Russian earned the biggest victory of his life the hard way, too, recovering from a set down for the second day in succession and twice fending off break points that would have left him trailing 5-1 in the final set. It was a triumph of perseverance from a former junior world No 1 whose senior career, which includes seven grand slam quarter-finals, has been all about perseverance.
“After struggling so much, so many times, losing in the finals, semi-finals, losing even earlier, [I] struggled so much to win a first 1000 Masters, and finally I did it,” said Rublev. “I did it in Monaco, [a] really historic tournament. It’s a pleasure to be part of it.”
“To win a match like this, losing 4-1, 0-30, breakpoint for 5-1, and to be able to come back and to win, is like a fairy tale.”
Rublev, an understated 25-year-old Russian ranked sixth in the world, has been threatening to win big for a while now, certainly since defeating Rafael Nadal on the way to the final of the Monte Carlo Masters two years ago. Vanquished by Stefanos Tsitsipas on that occasion, he lost out again four months later in the final of Cincinnati, where he was handily beaten by Alexander Zverev. He blamed his repeated setbacks on his mentality, but never stopped believing he would ever get over the threshold. He just didn’t know when.
“Everyone has their own weaknesses,” Rublev reflected at the Astana Open last October, just weeks after he was reduced to tears by a quarter-final defeat to Frances Tiafoe.
“My weakness is mental, and little by little there are improvements.”
It is that kind of openness and vulnerability that makes Rublev so relatable. He has never sought to hide his emotions, never been afraid to show how badly he wants to win. Happily, he has tempered his tendency to inflict injury on himself with his racket, but frustration rarely feels more than an unforced error away.
Rublev’s demons resurfaced after he lost the opening set of his semi-final against Taylor Fritz, the furious Muscovite retreating to the bathroom and telling himself: “Good job… because of your head again, one more semi-final you lost.” Except he didn’t. Rublev steeled himself, returned to the court and came through a lengthy rain delay to win.
It proved to be a dress rehearsal for his meeting with Rune, who won the opening set but lost control of his temper late in the match, hammering a pair of balls out of the stadium after twice missing overheads as he served at 5-5 in the decider. Rublev might have suffered such an implosion himself in the past, particularly after missing 13 of his 19 break points. But as Rune earned a code violation for his troubles, the shoe was on the other foot for once. Although Rublev worked his way through his usual repertoire of anguished grimaces and rants, he retained his composure to the last. Serving for the match, he slammed down a fifth ace of the afternoon to complete a love hold before his features finally crumpled with the emotion of a dream fulfilled.
“In those moments, every match when you have break point, if you [feel] too much pressure, you feel stress, you want to make it,” said Rublev. “It’s like, ‘I prefer to break now and then to feel a bit more advantage.’
“Like every match, sometimes you make it straightaway, sometimes it takes time. But today I handled my emotions really well.”
For Rune, it was perhaps one match too many after the exertions of the previous day. True, both men had been required to battle through rain delays and the loss of the opening set, but Rublev completed his victory over Taylor Fritz several hours before Rune’s emotionally-charged win over Jannik Sinner. The Dane, who won a maiden Masters title in Paris last November, showed signs of fatigue down the stretch. But while he missed the chance to emulate Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, the only players to win multiple titles at 1000 level on different surfaces, he also had the maturity to recognise that the bigger prize lies ahead.
“I was definitely in control in the third set and also, I would say, mostly in the first set as well,” said Rune. “But again, didn’t manage to close it out.
“Disappointing, but it’s part of tennis. Just got to see what I did wrong, what I can do better, and move on, because, you know, the most important tournament of the clay season is the French Open.
“If I can prepare myself as best as possible for that one, that’s what matters.”
With his Masters hoodoo finally broken, Rublev may feel much the same. For now, though, he is content with what he has.
“I know it’s tough to lose in a final, but you’re too freaking young, man,” he joked as he addressed Rune on court. “You already have won a 1000 title, at least give me one time to win it.”
After all Rublev has been through to reach this milestone, few would begrudge him that much.