It could well turn out to be a great year across the board for Rubin if he can avoid further injuries. This past week, he made it through the qualifying for the ATP 250 event in Geneva on the dirt. Yesterday, he upended 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis in the first round of the main draw in Geneva.
He believes playing a lot of clay-court events early in the season will serve him well. Going to Spain and elsewhere allowed Rubin to see some new faces and confront some different competition.
“I thought it would be good to go overseas and see that level of tennis on clay early,” he says. “We get surrounded by other American tennis players and it is great that there are so many of us, but we kind of beat each other up. It gets to the point where you want to see other tennis and see what is out there. Seeing the same names over and over again on the U.S. tour and the same people talking gets monotonous. It can be dreary after a while. I think it helped me to get to a different level of clay court tennis, so when I got back to the States it gave me a leg up and put me ahead of the others.”
Having said that, Rubin makes it abundantly clear that he has genuine appreciation for the camaraderie that has developed among all the young American players.
“We share so many unique experiences together,” he says. “Only we can understand, because we have been on the court together. I have played all of these guys and won and lost against them all. It is just great because there is this friendly competition and we want to beat the other guy out. That is how the best players have gotten to the top. A lot of tennis players will tell people that I keep to myself a lot. My closest friends are not tennis players. But, that being said, we as players are still very close and we follow and root for each other. I know that at least ten percent of us will get to the second week of Slams and that is exciting to think about.”
Rubin and the other young American players often congratulate and commiserate with each other—and have a laugh at each other’s expense.
“With somebody like me, when I have been out for a while, [Frances] Tiafoe will make a joke like ‘Oh, you can still play tennis?’ So we do have that banter back and forth. Deep down, for the most part, 99 percent of us are all good guys and want the best for each other.”
Be that as it may, Rubin recognizes that his workplace is essentially a world of your own.
“I don’t play tennis for other people,” he says. “I believe I can play with these other guys. I was taken out of a lot of discussions [with the injuries] about whether I have a future in tennis and whether I am going to be good. I have always been professional, but I have upped the professionalism of how I train.”
He pauses before concluding, “Tennis wise, I am just believing in myself and understanding that a lot of these guys aren’t that good. We are all at the same level. Every time I step on the court, I am going to make it a war. I don’t know if everybody is ready for that. There is no limit to what I can accomplish. Now I am in my first main draw at Roland Garros. Even at the top level of Slams I know I can beat a lot of guys. I am excited to see how it all turns out.”