After hitting a mental ‘dead end,’ Andrey Rublev ready for ‘transformation’ period

PARIS, France — After reaching what he describes as “a dead end” with his on-court mentality, Andrey Rublev says he’s ready for the “new me” to emerge—and he’s hoping that transformation takes center stage at Roland Garros.

The Russian is through to the fourth round in Paris after receiving a walkover from Arthur Fils, the No. 14 seed who was forced to withdraw due to a back injury. A former junior champion here, Rublev has previously reached the quarterfinals in 2020 and 2022. But after back-to-back third-round exits the past two years, he now faces top seed Jannik Sinner with a spot in the final eight on the line.

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Rublev trails Sinner 3–6 in their head-to-head but remains a dangerous opponent. He split their meetings last year—making him one of only four players to beat the Italian during a historically dominant season, along with Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I don’t think it’s more about the game, it’s more about myself,” Rublev told reporters earlier this week. “Last week (in Hamburg) I did well. I was kind of improving. I was in the right direction…

“Game-wise, you cannot control it. You can play amazing out of nowhere, and you can be in your best shape and suddenly play a not good match. So it’s not about the game.”

Learning to accept those ups and downs has become part of Rublev’s growth. After a first-round loss to 18-year-old Joao Fonseca at the Australian Open—a Grand Slam debut for the Brazilian—Rublev rebounded quickly, capturing his 17th ATP title in Doha with wins over Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jack Draper.

Still, his clay-court season has been rocky. Rublev won just three matches across Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid (where he was defending champion), and Rome, and briefly dropped out of the Top 15 for the first time in five years. But he found momentum again in Hamburg, reaching the ATP 500 final just ahead of Roland Garros.

“I don’t know, I don’t look for the easy road!” he laughed during the Russian portion of his pre-tournament press conference. “But overall, the results weren’t working out because a lot has changed in me.”

Rublev has long been open about his internal struggles, including his battle with depression and emotionally volatile behavior on court. His racquet-smashing meltdowns are as well-known as his kindness and humility off court, making him one of the more complex and beloved personalities on tour.

Last year, he admitted to hitting rock bottom mentally as he struggled to find “the reason or purpose to live.” Now, he’s determined to stay on a healthier path, fueled by changes both on and off the court.

“When you change your habits, change everything about yourself, then everything as it was before starts to crumble and doesn’t work anymore. And as it was all falling apart, it affected my results on the court, off the court, in life,” he revealed, according to Russian outlet Championat.

“This is some kind of ‘new me’ that is being formed. Where it will lead, I don’t know. But it will definitely not be like before. I realized that I’m unhappy, I’m suffering, and I’m behaving disgustingly.

“I realized that I’ve already hit a dead end for this kind of mentality: I could either change things, then maybe there’s hope for things getting better, or I could continue down the same road and then it would be completely over.

“I chose to change, so now everything is in a ‘transformation’ period.”

That transformation includes working with a psychologist, a step his longtime coach Fernando Vicente disclosed last year. These days, it’s more common to see Rublev closing his eyes and breathing deeply on changeovers, with emotional outbursts occurring less frequently.

He’s also added a new voice to his team: former world No. 1 Marat Safin. The two share a national and tennis upbringing—both raised by demanding tennis parents, trained at the same Moscow club, and eventually relocated to Spanish academies.

I realized that I’m unhappy, I’m suffering, and I’m behaving disgustingly... I’ve already hit a dead end for this kind of mentality.

Safin, too, was known for his fiery temperament but channeled it into a career that earned him two Grand Slam titles. For Rublev, it’s a model worth studying.

Safin’s guidance was key when Rublev was at his lowest last year, and their collaboration—originally planned just for the clay season—could extend further.

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“I want to continue,” Rublev confirmed. “At the same time, it’s clear that he won’t be a full-time coach because he doesn’t want to be one. I know that he likes to live according to his own schedule, and coaching implies that your schedule is adjusted to tournaments and training.

“He enjoys his freedom: He can come for five days and train, and that’s great, but then the next five days he wants to be with himself.”

Whether or not Safin stays on board, Rublev’s transformation continues—and this time, it’s one he’s driving himself.

“All my life I’ve waited for help from the outside,” he said with a smile. “It’s time for me to help myself now.”

Rublev, the No. 17 seed, will take on Sinner in the Monday night match on Court Philippe-Chatrier.