WATCH: Andrey Rublev can’t stop laughing during “scary” rowing challenge in Hamburg

Former champion Andrey Rublev is off to a strong start in Hamburg—both on the court and on the water.

Over the weekend, four top seeds—No. 3 Rublev, No. 5 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, and No. 8 Sebastian Baez—joined a rowing challenge at Alster Lake ahead of the Bitpanda Hamburg Open. Judging by the footage, they had a blast.

“Scary!” Rublev said of the experience. “I’ve never been so focused in my life to be balanced and be rowing at the same time as the boss,” he told ATPTour.com, laughing.

“It was nice though, because you row in the gym, but this is completely different.”

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The players were split into two boats, racing in pairs with support from the Hamburg Rowing Club. Rublev and Auger-Aliassime faced off against Davidovich Fokina and Baez in a lighthearted but competitive test of teamwork. With Rublev’s laughter echoing across the lake, his team clinched the win.

Afterward, the players spoke with the media. Rublev, the 2020 Hamburg champion, reflected on that earlier title run and the challenges of competing during the pandemic.

“It was a tough time, because it was (during) Covid and we couldn’t go out of the hotel. It was a tough feeling being at a tournament and not enjoying the city or the rest of the things,” he recalled.

“It was nice that I was able to go through all those things and still be able to perform well and show a great level.”

A day on the lake may have brought some good luck: three of the four rowers went on to win their opening matches.

Rublev defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 6-3 on Monday and will next face 17-year-old German wildcard Justin Engel. On Tuesday, Davidovich Fokina and Auger-Aliassime advanced past Gael Monfils and Daniel Altmaier, respectively. Baez fell to fellow Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Elsewhere in the draw, top seed Alexander Zverev also got off to a winning start on home soil, beating Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-1, 7-6 (5). He’ll next face Frenchman Alexandre Muller.