ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2026

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Andrey. How do you feel, and how was the preparation going?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I feel great. Preparation is going great, as well, so let's see, yes.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Andrey, how are you doing?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I'm doing good. Thank you.

Q. I'm curious, I thought you played some great tennis in Rome. How did you kind of digest that? How did you feel about where you were after that tournament?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, every match in Rome was different. Some of them was a good level. Some of them were tough conditions, and I was able to deal with that quite well. Some matches was completely opposite, like was not working anything, but I was able to find kind of way to win anyway.

Against Jannik, the match, yeah, was also different, but overall the level is getting better and better, and that's the most important thing. It's more -- yeah, depends. In my case it's getting better and better.

Compare, of course, the level of Alcaraz, Sinner, of course, there is some things of trusting myself or be able to keep that, maintain that focus for during all the match without dropping that match, because with him, if you drop a little bit, it's not only one, two points, it's already one or two games.

Q. Am I right in thinking that you're participating in the player protest today?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah.

Q. I'm just curious, why is that important for you to be part of it?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, why it's important, because it's something normal. When you try to communicate and to kind of work together for so many years, and it's not kind of working and no one pays attention.

So in one moment it's, like, okay, we need to do something at least to be able to get this attention and maybe finally we talk. If there is no attention, so it will keep going.

Q. Can you tell us a bit how it's, how -- did you organize this protest?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I didn't organize anything.

Q. Not you personally.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Like I said, when you try to communicate for so many years, when you explain the things, okay, here and there, it's not how it should be, it can be better. It's not about only the money and stuff like that. There is many aspects.

They don't hear you. They don't answer. Basically, I don't know, just give you example. When you send the mail in, no one responds to official mail for months, it's like -- and we are doing the same thing. Come on, guys. We are together, or you completely don't care that much that you cannot even communicate.

So it's more about are we together, and we try to do something together to grow the sport and for everyone to be kind of feeling comfortable, but it cannot be only one way that you use players and that's it. And you don't even -- and you treat them sometimes like not in the right way. Because of them, you are creating all the money and everything that having, so it's a bit not right way to do.

Q. Sometimes in order to create change and change things, it can lead to, like, personal hurt in a way, like you might have to sacrifice things. Do you think players are willing to do that, whether it's, obviously there was talk about the boycott, or even in this situation not doing certain obligations that leads to fines? Do you think players are actually willing to do that?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I think it's all depending, again, on communication, because we are completely open. We want this. We were asking for many years to try to communicate and to hear us, like basic things, help, I don't know, bonus pool, help pension, help -- it's not only give us money. There is a huge structure where you can develop, to grow the sport.

Slams, they are not -- who is the one who generate the most money. They are not helping in anything. It's like, okay, guys, we need your help a bit. We cannot only do everything by ourself, and that's it. So it's not about things. It's about that we are completely aware, open to communicate, and we want, and then it's about them.

If they don't want, then we'll think what is next to be heard. That's it.

Q. You're part of the player council, right? I'm curious, in general what have you learned about the sport and particularly how fractured it is, how difficult it is to make changes, and how has that experience been for you in general?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Basic, I don't know, the experience, nothing really too special or something. Yeah, it's more about just to be a bit, let's say, to have an illusion that I'm a bit less misinformed, because when you're not -- when you're far, you hear one thing from a player, you hear another thing from a tournament, then you hear a third thing from ATP, fourth thing from ITF. It's, like, okay. There is kind of you having a bit of illusion that more or less you hear the middle, you know?

But, of course, to change the things is not easy, because it's too much involved. It's each federation of which country, ITF, ATP, whatever, players, borders, tournament directors, the federation of the countries. I don't know, the country itself.

Everybody have their own interest, so of course, to change little thing, you have to go from zero to all this way up, which is, of course, not always easy.