A losing finalist in 2024, Andrey Rublev was hoping for another crack at the Canadian Open title in 2025.
The Russian number one began his Canadian Open campaign against Hugo Gaston in the second round, who he defeated in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
He was made to work much harder in his next match, however, as Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego pushed Rublev close before losing out in three sets.
Another three-setter followed in the fourth round, when Rublev advanced past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina when the Spaniard retired injured down 0-3 in the final set.
Unfortunately for Rublev, it was in the quarterfinals that his run came to an end, losing out to Taylor Fritz in straight sets, 3-6, 6-7.
Frustrated with the defeat, Rublev slammed the court conditions in Toronto during his post-match press conference.
Andrey Rublev says there is ‘not much tennis’ being played in Toronto due to the conditions
Speaking to the media after his quarterfinal defeat, Rublev shared his thoughts on the conditions at the Canadian Open.
“I don’t have much to say. Here, the game is very simple, it’s only serve and the guy who just put more returns, because with these conditions, there is not much tennis,” he said.
“Here it’s tough to serve against. Here, there is no tennis at all.
“But it’s the same conditions for every player. It’s also the same, yeah, for everyone. We’re all in the same conditions, and that’s it.”
Rublev had already shared his thoughts on the conditions earlier in the tournament, suggesting he wasn’t a fan of the quicker courts used in Toronto.
Reflecting on the match itself, Rublev gave credit to his opponent, who served ‘unbelievably’ well.
“Taylor [Fritz] served unbelievably and had a good return,” he said.
“In the second set, I played one bad game at four-all, and the same happened to him; he played one bad game.
“When I was serving and he broke me, he was super focused. Then the same happened to him. When I broke him, he didn’t play well, and I was super focused, and I was able to break him. That’s it.
“The tiebreak was unlucky. I had three forehands to go for the shot, and I missed them, so not much to say.”
Rublev was then asked to assess Fritz’s level, as the American prepares to play his seventh career Masters 1000 semifinal.
“He’s one of the best players. He gets great results. Wimbledon semifinal, great match against [Carlos] Alcaraz. Now, the tournament after Wimbledon, he’s in the semifinal,” he said.
“He has tough matches against top players, and he’s beating most of the players.”
Securing the win against Rublev, Fritz extended his head-to-head lead over the Russian to 6-4.
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Canadian Open – QF | Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2024 Madrid Open – SF | Andrey Rublev | Taylor Fritz | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2023 Laver Cup – RR | Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | 6-2, 7-6 |
| 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters – SF | Andrey Rublev | Taylor Fritz | 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2022 Cincinnati Open – 3R | Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | 6-7, 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2022 Indian Wells – SF | Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | 7-5, 6-4 |
| 2021 Paris Masters – 2R | Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | 7-5, 7-6 |
| 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships – 3R | Andrey Rublev | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals – RR | Andrey Rublev | Taylor Fritz | 4-2, 1-4, 3-4, 4-3, 4-2 |
| 2018 Indian Wells – 2R | Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | 6-4, 7-6 |
Fritz will now move on to play his countryman Ben Shelton in the semifinals, while Rublev turns his attention towards the Cincinnati Open.
Andrey Rublev’s record at the Cincinnati Open
Rublev will make his eighth career appearance at the Cincinnati Open in 2025, having enjoyed his fair share of success at the event over the years.
The 27-year-old has reached the quarterfinals on three occasions, doing so most recently in 2024.
- 2018 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in 1R to Kei Nishikori
- 2019 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in QF to Daniil Medvedev
- 2020 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in 1R to Dan Evans
- 2021 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in F to Alexander Zverev
- 2022 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in 3R to Taylor Fritz
- 2023 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in 2R to Emil Ruusuvuori
- 2024 Cincinnati Open – Andrey Rublev lost in QF to Jannik Sinner
Rublev made an impressive run through to the Cincinnati Open final four years ago, before coming up short against Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
Rublev will be looking to go one better in 2025, as he searches for a third Masters 1000 title.
The 2025 Cincinnati Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 11.
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