Andrey Rublev and the curse of the 'very good' player
Andrey Rublev will never stop his relentless pursuit of greatness
An errant forehand struck the middle of the net.
Andrey Rublev thrashed his racquet against his knee twice in a fit of rage. A coveted title in Shanghai he was on the precipice of had somehow slipped from his grasp.
Instead, it was Hubert Hurkacz experiencing the elation, defeating the 25-year-old Russian 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) in an exciting see-saw final to secure a second career Masters 1000 title.
He’s a worthy champion.
Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz is, and has been, a very good player. He’s a former Wimbledon semifinalist, a surprise winner in Miami only two years ago, and a finalist at the National Bank Open in Montreal last summer.
Andrey Rublev is also… very good.
Very, very good.
He has one of the most powerful and penetrating forehands on the tour.
He strikes the ball with a precise intensity, seemingly carrying purpose behind every stroke.
His movement, which was a decided weakness five years ago, continues to improve; his serve is now a major weapon in his arsenal, and his return game has elevated to a necessary quality for competing with and ultimately beat the world’s best players.
Rublev has ultimately been rewarded for his hard work on the circuit.
He’s won 14 ATP singles titles, earned an Olympic gold medal in doubles, and reached the quarterfinals stage at nine Grand Slams.
He’s an all-surface threat with nine hard court wins, five on clay, and a recent Wimbledon quarterfinal in July.
These accolades have earned him just under $20,000,000 in career prize money.
Yet, as Andrey winced in disappointment approaching the net in defeat in Shanghai, and gazed off in the distance, shell-shocked during the post-match trophy ceremony, it’s painfully clear he’s not satisfied.
Photo courtesy Tennis HQ
Perhaps, he will never be satisfied unless he gets to the proverbial top.
And really, can anyone blame him?
Rublev is one of the consummate fan favourites on the ATP circuit.
Self deprecating humour effortlessly drips out of him interviews, allowing us to connect with the human side of the athlete.
He’s quirky and fun, intense and passionate; he’s highly successful, a bona fide tennis star, but several shades shy of a sports superstar.
One would hope that is enough.
For Andrey, it’s not.
Rublev, at this stage in his career, looks on the trajectory of one of many terrific tennis players that will enjoy a very good career, that comes just short of greatness.
And what is our measuring stick of greatness?
The Grand Slam.
That’s how it has simply been in tennis for decades.
Hey, maybe that’s unfair.
After all, there have been surprise winners of major titles who have not carved out the type of career Rublev has today.
Take for example talented clay court specialist Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, who found his best level for a two-week period, and stunned the tennis world with his 2004 French Open crown.
Perhaps timing was in his favour. Rafael Nadal first showed up Roland Garros a year later.
A matter of timing could also explain why far superior men’s players to Gaudio such as Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Ferrer, or David Nalbandian never reached the pinnacle with a Grand Slam title.
A generation of very good held back from greatness by the likes of the Big Three.
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity - Ancient Roman philospher Seneca
The ascent to greatness is of course still possible for Rublev.
He’s only 25, he’s returned to his career high ranking of five in the world, and with each passing year he continues to hone and refine his skills, while the era of the Big Three has, for now, decisively shrunk to one, and Novak Djokovic isn’t getting any younger.
And if Rublev doesn’t reach our autocratic definition of greatness, that’s okay.
Watching a very, very good player of his caliber compete week in and week out on tour is more than satisfactory to me.