WATCH: Andrey Rublev gets nostalgic talking about his idol Rafael Nadal as his old photo in identical outfits is shown to him
Andrey Rublev goes back in time, sharing his childhood way of portraying his idol Rafael Nadal during matches.
Follow Us
Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal together during a practise session.(left). Andrey Rublev imitating Nadal's kit during his teenage days.(right) (credits: Twitter)
At an event organized by the management of the Cincinnati Open, World No. 8 Andrey Rublev was among the list of players who were asked to speak about their past memories. A photograph was presented to him that resembled his childhood, where he is seen playing tennis. He was quick enough to recognize the picture as soon as he saw it, which led to him speaking about his idol, Rafael Nadal.
He was wearing a green t-shirt, using the same racquet and shorts that Nadal used during that time, making it clear what a huge fanboy he was. Apart from this, he even talked about how much Nadal influenced him to pursue the sport and impacted his gameplay. He took the picture and said, “This was back in the days; my idol was Rafa, and I was playing tournament in Moscow and was one of the matches.”
He further added, “I don’t remember if the shoes is the same, this I don’t remember, but the rest yes. but the rest yes, everything, even the racquet.” Rublev even tried to match the headband Rafa used during his matches to hold his hair tight. Rublev has never shied away from speaking about the mentality and agility of Rafa since his entry into professional tennis.
How has Rublev performed against his idol so far?
Rublev has played Nadal on three occasions, with Nadal winning twice and Rublev winning their last meeting at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals. He won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals. In the other two meetings, Rublev was no match against his idol, losing both matches in straight sets. Their first meeting took place way back at the 2017 US Open in the quarterfinals.
Rafa beat the Russian by 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, and their next match took place at the 2020 ATP World Tour Finals group stage. Being part of the ATP Finals for the first time in his career, Rublev was very pumped up and determined to make the opportunity count. Ultimately, he had to take the loss yet again, losing this time 6-3, 6-4, with Ruglev failing to make it to the finals.
In case you missed it:
- WATCH: Roger Federer dwells on missing Laver Cup as a player while backing the ‘Team World’ to retain their title this year in Vancouver
- WATCH: Jessica Pegula gets emotional recalling her mom’s health concerns following her Canadian Open title
Stay Updated!
Soumyadeep Mondal
(882 Articles Published)