Andrey Rublev now faces his toughest task yet at the Italian Open as he takes on home favorite Jannik Sinner.
Sinner has admitted losing wouldn’t be the worst scenario in Rome, but that hasn’t stopped him from storming into the quarterfinals.
The Italian Open top seed has made that stage without dropping a set, with 12th seed Rublev now awaiting for a place in the semifinals.
Rublev has dropped just one set from his three matches so far, having knocked out Miomir Kecmanovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Nikoloz Basilashvili.
But the Russian now faces a daunting task against world number one Sinner, who has just claimed his 31st successive win at ATP Masters 1000 events.
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Andrey Rublev has mixed feelings ahead of playing Jannik Sinner in Rome
Rublev told Tennis Channel ahead of their quarterfinal: “How many masters in a row has he won already, five?
“He wins how many, 20-something matches in a row?
“He’s getting closer to losing finally.
“The more he wins the more he gets closer.”
And when asked if he’s excited for the challenge, he replied: “I’m fine.
“I’m not excited, I’m not bad.
“I’m fine.
“If you ask me if I prefer to play someone else, of course I prefer to play someone else.
“But if I would like to challenge myself against Jannik, yes as well.
“I would like to challenge myself against Jannik.
“So that’s why I’m fine.”
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Andrey Rublev vs Jannik Sinner head-to-head
It was a typical response from Rublev, who will undoubtedly be both excited and concerned ahead of their match.
The Russian and the Italian have met 10 times throughout their ATP careers, with Sinner claiming seven wins compared to Rublev’s three.
| Year | Winner | Tournament | Round | Surface | Score |
| 2025 | Jannik Sinner | Roland Garros | Round of 16 | Outdoor Clay | 61 63 64 |
| 2024 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Hard | 46 75 64 |
| 2024 | Andrey Rublev | ATP Masters 1000 Canada | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Hard | 63 16 62 |
| 2024 | Jannik Sinner | Australian Open | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Hard | 64 76(5) 63 |
| 2023 | Jannik Sinner | Vienna | Semifinal | Indoor Hard | 75 76(5) |
| 2023 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Miami | Round of 16 | Outdoor Hard | 62 64 |
| 2022 | Andrey Rublev | Roland Garros | Round of 16 | Outdoor Clay | 16 64 20 RET |
| 2022 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo | Round of 16 | Outdoor Clay | 57 61 63 |
| 2021 | Jannik Sinner | Barcelona | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Clay | 62 76(6) |
| 2020 | Andrey Rublev | Vienna | Round of 16 | Indoor Hard | 21 RET |
But Sinner has been on an entirely different level of late, having recently secured a fifth successive ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid.
He remarkably last lost at the level back in October 2025, but even then it was via a third-round retirement against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai.
Now back in Italy, he’s aiming to complete the Career Golden Masters, and has the huge advantage of home support to help get him over the line.
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