AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2026

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/J. Faria

6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: A tricky opponent out there for you today, but you managed to get through in four sets. How do you feel about your performance level?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Overall, I feel great. I think I was playing better and better set by set.

The first set I start not really well. I was a bit more -- like, I didn't know what to expect, so I was more tight a bit in the beginning, not hitting well. I don't know, missing sometimes easy balls.

Then after I won the set, I started to play the second set. I think I played quite well. I make some amazing returns, some good shots.

Third set was a bit unlucky, because he started to play really well, and I didn't expect that, I guess.

He started to hit winners all over the place, and the only opportunity I had to break him back was at Love-30, and I had good ball to make Love-40, and I didn't make it. That's it.

Then the fourth set was, I think, good level set from both sides. In the end, I played -- when I was serving for the match, I make three double faults, but can happen, this. Outside of that, I think the fourth set was good level.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It's nice for us to see Marat back on tour with you. What was the main thing he brings to you or your game or your mindset?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Obviously I'm not going to say the truth, but he brings everything. Yeah, much more calmness for sure, as well. That's enough (laughter).

Q. Does he bring fun, because there's been a lot of talk about the photo that he posted on his Instagram yesterday?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I mean, we make fun. We make fun (smiling), but yeah, we make fun together. But then depends, depends on the day. When it's more serious day, then we try to make it, yeah, more serious. But, yeah, when it's time for fun, we make fun as well.

Q. Has he inspired your hair?

ANDREY RUBLEV: No. To be honest, I mean, if you want to hear this boring story, I can say, to be honest, no, it's nothing to do with Marat.

It was last year during the American swing, because normally I cut my hair always in one place. In America I started to feel it's getting out of control, too long, but I was too lazy, because I was thinking, okay, I go to New York and I will cut it, and I was too lazy, because practice, you come back late to the hotel to spend extra one hour and a half or one hour for this. I didn't want to spend the time.

Then I was, I think after the shower in the mirror, and I did like this, and I say, Oh, okay, if I change my style, it's even short for this type of style. That's it.

Q. Just an off-court question. I know it's the start of a new year, but it feels like we're talking still a lot about Russia and Ukraine. I'm not sure if you've seen this morning, but we've had a Ukrainian player speak out really strongly against Russian and Belarusian players saying she believes that they should be banned from playing on the tour. Do you think it's unfair for players to be speaking like this about other players? What's your take on it?

ANDREY RUBLEV: It was today? No, first of all, I didn't know this.

I guess, I don't know what to say, because everyone, I guess, can say whatever they want. That's why they have platform. That's why you have, yeah, interviews. So you share your feelings, you share what you feel. It's just whatever, whoever, have his own platform, he shares their own feelings.

I think, yes, they can...

Q. You've played UTS quite a lot, and you played 1 Point Slam here and all the other innovations in the sport. Do you have a preference, one that you've enjoyed most, or something you think could be maybe brought into mainstream tennis or one you would like better?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, to bring it to the main tennis, obviously no. But to have it something like that on slams or on the big events before the start, it's amazing.

It's very entertainment. It's nice to watch. A lot of players are playing, so yeah, to have those kind of things before, yes. But if you make it something as a main, you will get boring super fast.

Q. Do you have a preference? Any one that you think --

ANDREY RUBLEV: It's different. 1 Point Slam, you feel tensions, emotions, but if you lose, it's over. That's it.

UTS is at least sometimes two days, sometimes three days, depends on the schedule. You play, like what you play, like maybe 45 minutes one match, so you have time there kind of -- it's endurance. It's very intense. So it's a completely different format. Both are fun. Both are entertainment.

Q. Just back to Marat for a moment. Have you seen or discussed ever when he hit that amazing winner and pulled down his pants at the French Open?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I think so. We didn't discuss about the winner. We just discuss about the action. I think so, yeah, but I don't remember what he said.

No, I remember what he said, but I cannot say this (smiling). He is, like, yeah, kind of -- he explain it in a way when you, like, go over the guy, then you kind of show -- you take out the pants.