Andrey Rublev played a pivotal role in securing a comeback victory for Team Falcons in the World Tennis League final, but his post-match comments revealed a focus on higher-level competitions. In an interview following the match, Rublev expressed that his primary concern lies in performing well at major tournaments, rather than celebrating the team victory.
The final showcased a thrilling contest where Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva narrowly defeated Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia with a score of 7-6 (5). Additionally, Rublev achieved a significant singles win against Rybakina, defeating her 6-2, which initially gave Team Hawks a 13-8 lead.
Despite trailing in the final stages, Rublev stepped up to turn the tide for the Falcons. He and Denis Shapovalov teamed up to defeat Jordan Thompson and Sumit Nagal 6-2. Rublev then dominated Nagal in singles, winning 6-1, which clinched a 20-16 victory for Team Falcons.
When asked if he played for moments like these, Rublev candidly stated, “To be honest, not for these moments I play tennis. I play tennis to play at the main tournaments.” He acknowledged the satisfaction of the win, adding, “It’s still a nice feeling, I did my best. I tried and we were able to win, so that’s the most important thing.” His response caught the interviewer off guard, highlighting Rublev’s straightforwardness.
Rublev also noted that, despite their success in Abu Dhabi, he and his teammates—WTA stars Rybakina and Garcia, along with Shapovalov—did not spend much time together off the court. “There is no behind-the-scenes because we didn’t spend even one minute together outside of the bench,” he explained. However, he expressed familiarity with his teammates, saying, “I’ve known Denis since juniors, we played many matches. Elena and Caroline are super-nice girls—all of them are amazing players.”
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