Andrey Rublev Admits He Doesn’t Believe Carlos Alcaraz is Unbeatable on Tour

Andrey Rublev is in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Andrey Rublev Admits He Doesn’t Believe Carlos Alcaraz is Unbeatable on Tour

Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz Brasil)

In Short
  • Andrey Rublev does not consider Carlos Alcaraz unbeatable, despite Alcaraz's strong start to the season.
  • Alcaraz holds a 12-0 record this season and has extended his lead as World No.1 with 13,550 ranking points.
  • Rublev aims to regain form in the Middle East swing after dropping out of the ATP top 10 rankings.

Two months into the start of the new season, Carlos Alcaraz has yet to lose a match on tour. The Spaniard is flying high this season and has already won two titles, including the Australian Open, which cemented his place among the greats in the sport. But Andrey Rublev doesn’t believe the 22-year-old is unbeatable on tour.

Alcaraz continued where he left off last season on tour and has been the best player on the men’s circuit by a mile. His arch-rival Jannik Sinner is yet to reach a final in 2026 despite playing in two tournaments. The Italian star recently suffered a shocking loss in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open against Jakub Mensik.

However, Alcaraz holds a 12-0 record this season, and his victory in Qatar extended his lead as World No.1 to 13,550 ranking points. Despite not defending his Rotterdam Open points, he has the fourth-highest ranking points in ATP history. He faced Rublev in the semi-finals of the Doha Open and defeated him 7-6(3), 6-4.

Alcaraz holds a 5-1 lead over Rublev in their head-to-head record on tour. The only time Rublev defeated the Spaniard was at the 2024 Madrid Open in the quarter-finals, which he ultimately won. Since then, Alcaraz has beaten the Russian star in their last four meetings, including the fourth round of last year’s Wimbledon Championship.

Rublev’s disappointing loss to Alcaraz in Qatar meant that he will not defend his 500 points at the tournament, as he was the defending champion. During an interview with Marca, he pointed out that he went aggressive against Alcaraz in Qatar but was not able to beat him because the World No.1 played better:

Before, the only tactic that worked was to hit a winner early because if we got into a rally, he would take full control. In the recent semi-final, I felt there was no need to play so fast and I could defend long points. Then to beat him, it’s also a matter of details that he does better than me. You can’t put in your head that Carlos is invincible. You have to respect Carlos and any other opponent, but at the same time believe in yourself and think you can win.

Alcaraz will return to the court at the Indian Wells Open, which starts on March 6. The World No.1 is a two-time champion at the tournament, winning it in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he reached the semi-finals but lost to Jack Draper in three sets. He will be eager to continue with us form at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Andrey Rublev hopes to use the Middle East swing to get back to full form

Andrey Rublev is seeking to get back to form this season after dropping out of the top 10 of the ATP rankings last year. The Russian star is currently ranked World No. 18 in the ATP rankings. He fell four places in the rankings after failing to defend the Qatar Open. He now has a chance of going up after reaching the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Andrey Rublev Canadian Open 2024 Montreal
Andrey Rublev (image via Instagram @andreyrublev)

Rublev is a two-time Doha Open and former Dubai Tennis Championships title-holder and has consistently produced strong results in the Gulf swing. During the aforementioned interview, he revealed that the Middle East swing holds a special place in his heart, and he loves the support from Russian fans in the stadium:

It’s about streaks that happen. You can’t control where you’re going to play well or badly. What you can control is how you accept victories and defeats. Of course Dubai is special for me because it’s the event where you see the most Russian fans in the stands. I feel a bit like it’s my second home. Even local fans support me, and that doesn’t usually happen. In Doha and Dubai I feel more support, without a doubt.

Rublev will face Arthur Rinderknech in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Rinderknech defeated Jack Draper in three sets to earn his place in the last eight. However, Rublev defeated Valentin Royer and Ugo Humbert in the first and second rounds of the ATP 500 event.

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