Andrey Rublev has just achieved a feat only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic can match

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Andrey Rublev continued his pursuit of an 18th career title after reaching the semifinals at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The Russian, seeded fifth at the ATP 500 event, overcame French star Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to book his place in the final four, 6-2, 6-4.

Rublev is a former champion in Dubai, with the 28-year-old having hoisted the trophy back in 2022.

En route to potentially reclaiming the title, he has now just achieved a feat only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have previously managed.

Andrey Rublev matches Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in Dubai

Outside of his 2022 triumph, Rublev has enjoyed a number of lengthy campaigns at the Dubai Tennis Championships in years gone by.

Between 2021 and 2024, Rublev made it to at least the semifinals of the tournament, though the streak of final four appearances ended last year with a first-round exit.

Having returned to the penultimate stage, Rublev is now the third player ever to reach the Dubai semifinals five or more times.

Federer and Djokovic are the only other two players to have managed this.

The Serb advanced to the semifinals 10 times in his career, while the Swiss holds the record with 11.

Federer captured his 100th career title in Dubai back in 2019, becoming just the second man in history to tally a century of tour-level crowns, following Jimmy Connors.

Where Andrey Rublev ranks all-time in Dubai match wins

Rublev has now won a total of 20 matches at the Dubai Tennis Championships throughout his career.

His tally, two more than three-time major champion Andy Murray, ranks fifth all time.

He trails Djokovic and Federer, Mikhail Youznhy, and Tomas Berdych, though the latter two never won the title in Dubai.

Rublev is aiming for his first title of 2026 in Dubai this year, and his first since the 2025 Qatar Open.