US OPEN

August 30, 2025

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/C. Wong

2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. If you would, assess your performance today.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Was a really tough match. Obviously Wong was playing unbelievable. He was playing aggressive, serving well, going for the shots.

Myself, I didn't, like, the first set, I couldn't play, I didn't start well. Yeah, he just killed me, because I was not able to really put two balls over the net.

And then little by little, I kind of start to, like, talk a bit in aggressive way to myself to wake up, like, scream to myself, like, Okay, it's time. You need to go for it. Doesn't matter. Go for the shots.

At least I start to be able to play the rally and stuff like that, to be able to, yeah, to play more, return more balls, to at least defense a bit better. Sometimes serve start to work as well. Little by little, I was able to turn around the match.

Then, yeah, the match was close, but in the end, the game that I was able to break him, I did well. I did some good returns. I played a bit more aggressive, and it helped me in the end to broke him. Then I was able to hold my serve.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You have had some good results here over the years, and how do you view this tournament compared to the other slams? What makes you feel comfortable here?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know, to be honest. I guess just happens. No explanation, because I feel more or less the same in all the slams.

But, yeah, it's true here, I think I did the most quarterfinals from all the slams that I played. So, yeah, it seems that something here fits me. I don't know.

I don't have explanation, but by the results, yes, the US Open is my favorite one.

Q. Is the energy something you like just in New York in general?

ANDREY RUBLEV: To be honest, I like all the slams. I mean, and all the energy are special and all the slams are different and all of them are special.

I don't know, to be honest. It's just by the results it's my favorite tournament. By the feeling, more or less I enjoy all the slams. More or less in all the slams I'm feeling the same way. Some matches better; some matches worse. Some moments more tight; some moments more positive.

In the end I did all of them quarterfinals, at least in all of them. But like I said, in the end, US Open, yeah, I did the most quarterfinals.

Q. Well played. I read that you received a code violation and audible obscenity fine earlier in the tournament for a $3,000...

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yes, I think on the second round.

Q. I'm someone who curses sometimes. Do you think people should be fined for cursing?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Depends. Depends the situation. When you are talking to yourself in a bad way, it's my decision how I do it. In my opinion, you cannot charge for this. If you talk to the referee or umpire with the bad words, yes. When you do it to someone or you screaming on all courts, yes, obviously.

But when you talk to yourself, it's your decision how you talk. Doesn't matter even if umpire hear what you're saying or not. For this, I don't think so. It should be something like a big punishment or something like that. Because in the end of the day, in all the sports, it's normal. I mean, it doesn't matter which sports you take, in the crucial moments it happens. It's sport, it's life.

The same with every person outside in the life, in the crucial moments, stressful moments, I don't believe that all of us are super holy and we never say bad words in the crucial moments.

It's the same thing. We are performing or we're distressed and sometimes it happens. Like I said, if you do it towards someone or you're doing it too much openly, yes, but with yourself, it's your decision how you talk.

Q. In the next round, we don't know who your opponent will be yet, but I'd like to ask you about each of the two guys separately, starting with Sascha. How would you describe the way he's playing right now and the challenge it would be if you face each other?

ANDREY RUBLEV: He's playing good. I mean, he did semifinal Toronto, lose 7-6 in the third. Semifinal in Cincinnati. He's playing good again.

Obviously, I don't know, with Sascha is always tough matches because he have one of the best serves on tour. It's tough to break him. Also really good backhand.

Yeah, with him, you need to be super focused and wait for your moment. You need to play really well.

Similar thing with Felix. He have really good serve and very good forehand. The same thing, you need to be really patient and wait for your moment, because all the matches that I played with Felix was tough. Was three sets' battle always. I don't know, 6-4, 7-5, or 7-6 in the third and stuff like that. It's not easy, because to play against them, you need to play really well.

Q. One more thing about you, you were speaking before about talking to yourself during the match about being more aggressive and other things. How would you describe at this point in your career your maturity to make such changes and to redirect your emotions?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't know how to describe my maturity and if there is a maturity. But obviously if I compare myself being in those kind of state of mind when I'm a bit not feeling well, when I'm a bit not moving, not playing well, and the other guy is opposite, he's playing free completely, this year I lost all the matches like that. Especially on the clay court, clay court season was Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, all the matches, I could not perform. I was completely blocked.

And today it was the same thing, but somehow, at least I did it, I, let's say, unblocked a little bit. I didn't perform well, but I was able to compete. It's for sure in my case it's a change, because I never done it before. So it's a little, little change. So we'll see.

Q. Your opponent today was playing best-of-five for the first time. Do you feel like as the match went on your fitness was becoming more and more of a factor? Is fitness something that you work on more with your team?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I don't think today the fitness was the case, because we play five sets but we play three hours. Wasn't that long to don't handle it like physical-wise, you know. So it's not about really today fitness.

It was more about mental, who would take the chance, and that's it. Physical-wise, he's young, he should be full of energy. And me, as well, I was not really feeling exhausted or something.