Hong Kong Open: Rublev ready to challenge world’s best after doubting he deserved top 5 ranking
- Russian Andrey Rublev says there were times last season when he wondered if his level of tennis was good enough
- The 26-year-old is the top seed in Hong Kong in a field that also includes fellow countryman Karen Khachanov, and Frances Tiafoe
There were times last season when Andrey Rublev doubted he deserved to be among the top five players in the world, but now he feels he can compete with anyone in men’s tennis.
The Russian had a solid 2023, winning in Monte Carlo and Bastad, and reaching several other finals, including in Shanghai in October when he lost in three sets to 15th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
But despite reaching the top five a couple of times “without playing good tennis”, the 26-year-old said he thought injuries to Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thien had skewed the equation leaving him questioning if “my level [of tennis] is enough”.
Rublev begins his year as the top seed at this week’s Bank of China Hong Kong Open, with an eye on putting himself in a position to challenge the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic on a regular basis.
Bettering his quarter-final appearance at the 2023 Australian Open in the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne in a fortnight would go a long way to cementing his ranking, but it was after he reached the last eight at the US Open in September that he felt things change.
“I started to feel that it doesn’t matter who I have in the draw, if I will be smart and control my emotions, I will have a chance to win the match,” he said on Saturday. “I was playing tennis that I don’t remember myself playing for a long time.”