Andrey Rublev returned to the winner’s circle yesterday as he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the Madrid Open.
The Russian star came through in three sets to get his hands on the title to claim a 16th win on the tour.
Rublev won the game 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to end a brilliant week. He’s also beat Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz too in the Spanish capital.
After the game, he spoke kindly about his opponent. Now, it would appear that he’s a big fan of the Canadian star.
What Andrey Rublev has said about Felix Auger-Aliassime
Well, the Russian player wasn’t in too much of a mood to milk his success after his three-set victory yesterday.
Instead, he went straight in with praise for his opponent and it would appear that Auger-Aliassime is an inspiration to Rublev.
He said during his post-game interview: “I think first I want to say sorry…because my speech will be long.
“Thanks to Felix. I know it’s very disappointing to lose a match like this. I know the feeling. I’ve said this many times and I won’t be tired to say it again.
“You’re a true inspiration to me as a player, for the spectators and the kids. How professional and humble you are. How nice of a person you are.
“Just want to wish you all the best. You always have great people around you and that they treat you well.”
Rublev must bottle this form for Grand Slam tilt
Time is on the side of Rublev given that he’s only 26-years-old but his form at the major tournaments hasn’t been great.
He’s never progressed beyond a quarter-final in any of the four Grand Slam events, with Rublev reaching the last eight in Australia back in January.
For a player boasting the quality that Rublev has to never reach a semi-final in the four big tournaments isn’t a great look.
With that in mind, he will surely be hoping to get deeper in those tournaments, starting with the French Open in a few weeks.
It was a very touching speech that Riblev gave when discussing his opponent yesterday Auger-Aliassime.
For the 23-year-old, the future looks extremely bright.
He’s already won five career titles and in 2021 he reached the semi-finals of the US Open as a teenager.
Auger-Aliassime will come again and he can take a lot of heart from his performances at the Madrid Open.
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