Andrey Rublev has revealed he doesn’t view Carlos Alcaraz as being “invincible” and asserted that it’s “better not to go out on the court” if “you don’t believe.”
Alcaraz holds an ideal 12-0 document in 2026, having began his marketing campaign by profitable the Australian Open earlier than including the ATP 500 crown in Doha final week.
The 22-year-old Spaniard’s victory on the Qatar Open prolonged his lead because the world No 1, taking his factors complete to 13,550 — the fourth-highest ranking points figure in ATP history.
The seven-time main winner defeated Rublev, who was the reigning champion, 7-6(3), 6-4 in a high-level semi-final in Doha.
In an interview with Spanish information outlet Marca, Rublev was requested if he’s a participant who considers Alcaraz to be unbeatable.
“I think it’s more of a question for him because he’s the one winning the matches,” mentioned the world No 18, who has been ranked as excessive as fifth.
“My feeling is that I need to beat him. And that I need to be aggressive sufficient to win titles. You can’t get it into your head that he’s invincible.
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“You have to respect Carlos and any other opponent, but at the same time believe in yourself and think you can win. If you don’t believe it, it’s better not to go out on the court.”
Asked what conclusions he drew from his newest match with Alcaraz, Rublev mentioned: “I discovered so much. The first is that I’m heading in the right direction. It’s the primary match the place I felt aggressive enjoying towards him from the baseline.
“In earlier matches, together with the one I received towards him in Madrid or once I received a set, it was extra as a result of Carlos performed poorly or as a result of I, at occasions, performed very effectively. The Doha match was fully totally different.
“It’s true that he performed effectively, with out doing something unimaginable, however I used to be in a position to compete on equal phrases from the baseline. I felt like I might sustain along with his tempo, his energy, his depth… And it’s the primary time I’ve observed that with Alcaraz on the opposite aspect of the online.
“The different occasions we’d performed, if I didn’t end the purpose on the third or fourth shot, I had no probability. I couldn’t sustain along with his tempo or his depth, one thing that did occur in Qatar.
“Before, the one tactic that labored for me was hitting a winner as a result of, if we received right into a rally, he would take full management.
“In the recent semi-finals, I felt there was no need to play so quickly and I could defend the long rallies. To beat him, it’s also a matter of details that he does better than I do.”
Rublev holds a 1-5 head-to-head document towards Alcaraz.
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