Andrey Rublev’s Cincinnati Open campaign came to an end after suffering yet another defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.
A month after overcoming him at Wimbledon, Alcaraz beat Rublev again in three sets to advance to the semifinals in Cincinnati.
The Russian, who last came out on top over the world number two in 2024, has now lost to him for the third consecutive time.
As Alcaraz marched on towards a return to the final at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Rublev reflected on where it went wrong for him.
Andrey Rublev explains where it went wrong against Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking after the match, the 27-year-old said: “I felt like today was even better than at Wimbledon, so I just need to keep improving those details further, to get better and feel more confident finishing points at the net or handling short balls and so on.
“I’m doing better, but I still miss some moments, and that gives opportunities like I gave Carlos today.
“At this level, it is all about the tiniest details, where even in a single thought in a crucial moment, a tiny doubt creeps into your head that can cost you, like it did in the last game.
“Everything was fine and then out of nowhere, I played a great point, came to the net, played well there but got passed, then a double fault, and so on. At this level, those little details play the biggest role.”
Andrey Rublev’s record at ATP Masters 1000 events this year
So far in 2025, Rublev has had his worst Masters series since 2022, having failed to make it past the quarterfinals at the seven events he has appeared at.
He bowed out in the second round at both the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open, before recording third-round finishes in Monte-Carlo and Madrid.
| Masters 1000 | Result |
|---|---|
| Indian Wells | Second Round |
| Miami | Second Round |
| Monte-Carlo | Third Round |
| Madrid | Third Round |
| Rome | Second Round |
| Toronto | Quarterfinals |
| Cincinnati | Quarterfinals |
In Rome, he crashed out in the second round once again, losing to unseeded Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.
His level has improved during the North American hard-court swing, however, having made the last eight at both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
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