US OPEN

August 25, 2026

Mirra Andreeva

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

ANDREEVA-RUBLEV/Shnaider-Ruud

4-1, 5-4, 10-5

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with briefly each of your thoughts on how you did today, looking ahead to tomorrow.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I think we played very good today. I was enjoying our time on court. Obviously first time playing with each other.

I don't know, I felt like we were connected and we played well. I don't know, I just had a lot of fun. So nice to be able to win these matches. It was not easy. Very excited for tomorrow.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Not much to add. It's true that we played really well both matches. Mirra is something special, and I'm really happy to share the court with her.

Obviously, I don't know, in the morning, actually even yesterday, I saw, like, Gael with Elina. They are a couple and they played many times together, and they were still practicing mixed doubles with some other players who was in the draw.

I was thinking, They are taking it too serious, and what about us, we didn't even prepare, we didn't even do anything. But somehow also work pretty well for us.

Like Mirra said, we have since the beginning a very good connection in all the aspects, in terms of feel each other in the game, in terms of supporting each other.

Yeah, was a great, great experience to share court with her today. It will be great experience tomorrow. It will be memories forever.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Andrey, this is your first Grand Slam semifinal.

ANDREY RUBLEV: We see how Mirra affects me (smiling).

Q. Does it feel like anything big to you?

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, I mean, I'm happy in a semifinal of mixed doubles. But obviously when it's different format, it's everything super fast. You don't even realize. Especially, of course, it's not the same as to be in the singles.

But of course it's something new, different. Anyway, I super grateful to have it.

Q. Mirra, you were talking on court about how you had a crush on Andrey. How has this been for you managing that and staying professional and focused with this distraction?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Honestly, I think it happened... Sorry, was not for super long.

ANDREY RUBLEV: You know this typical moments when the kids, they don't have taste yet, they need to try some stupid things before they start to have it.

I was in the part of stupid thing, in the transition moment (smiling).

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I think it was when I was 15 or 16. But now, of course...

ANDREY RUBLEV: Now of course no chance (laughter).

MIRRA ANDREEVA: No, okay, whatever (smiling).

I don't know. It was still fun. I mean, I know that he's a great person. I wanted to play...

ANDREY RUBLEV: Now you can say whatever you want.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I wanted to play doubles with him for a very long time. After when I found out it would be possible, I was very excited because I thought that we would have great chances if we would play together.

Yeah, at the end I think we can see that we were playing super good. I think we both enjoyed it a lot. Yeah, just to have him also by my side is very special.

I don't know. It was just great. A lot of great memories.

Q. Andrey, is there more pressure to play well when your partner says she has a crush on you?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: He didn't know, so it was fine. I think he found out today only.

Q. In the second match after you said it.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Oh yeah, that's true.

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, I would say overall it's a bit of pressure because obviously you want to kind of give confidence to your partner that she's kind of safe, that she feels comfortable, she feel like, okay, you have her back. No, she have my back, sorry.

Of course, when you don't have much experience, you feel a bit pressure, like how it will go if I will be able to be the right one. Basically everything like in the couples, between the couples.

But in the end, yes, I think we connect, like Mirra said. We work together in all the aspects. It work out very well.

Q. Mirra, specifically what was it that you saw about Andrey that initially drew you to him?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Because he decided to play with me, that was a crush, or both?

Q. Was it forehand? Appearance? When you get upset?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Because she decided to play with me?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: You're asking about the crush?

Q. Yes.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I think she was feeling like you know when you see the cat on the street, you feel like sorry (laughter).

MIRRA ANDREEVA: That was not like that.

Q. What was it?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I don't know. I mean, first of all, his hair, okay?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Such a handsome man.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Let's give it up for the hair.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I'm super handsome (smiling).

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Right?

For me what's important in the person is the personality.

ANDREY RUBLEV: When you were 15, you know me very well.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: So many interviews I saw and so many things that I heard from other people, I just knew he's a great person. I didn't know him at that time yet.

I don't know, I just feel like he's super kind, very nice with everyone. Again, the hair. I don't know, everyone said that every time he would step on court, he would like tired. I don't know, he was looking great every time for me. I don't know.

Q. I want to ask you about Rublo, what is the next step?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Next step for Rublo (smiling)? First of all, the next step is that I change the name, yeah. I mean, if I will be honest, I was feeling a bit embarrassing with this name. For me it was not my choice. I was, yeah, feeling embarrassing.

That's why even when I was doing clothes, there was nothing saying Rublo. I decided to change the name. The name is Arborn, whatever is preferred. At least I'm more calm now with the name. I feel more comfortable.

The next step? The step is when we going to grow, I'm going to give like let's say the shot to grow a bit bigger. I don't want to just say everything, but in the next couple of months, I will give a shot to grow a bit more than I used to be. Let's see how it goes.

I hope it's going to give back a bit like a next level because obviously it's not easy being partner with the K-Swiss. As ambassador of the K-Swiss, it's not easy because there is many, many like let's say legal things that you cannot go against. Obviously when it's like this, you don't feel free and you don't feel you can create or do many things.

Obviously most of the things are doing K-Swiss, so you kind of have a very small room of what you can do. When it's like this, it's not easy.

Q. What do you think about the rules of dynamic of having four games in the set? Could it be something we could see in the future in singles tennis, some type of change? Second question, have you watched Novak's documentary? What do you think about it, if you did?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Let's answer the easy one about Novak. I haven't seen it yet. I just realized, because I was scrolling a bit Instagram, I saw some, like, parts, but I wasn't focusing if it was his documentary or something. It was something about him.

Now you said that he made a documentary. I haven't watched it, but I will. For sure it's something that you just need to watch for you, for your experience.

I didn't watch it yet.

Answering the first part of the question, for me doubles or mixed doubles, you can change the score, the format how you want because in the end it's not going to change anything.

Like obviously for me, doubles or mixed doubles, it's more an extra just for spectators, to entertain them on-site while they're waiting for some singles matches or while they're there. Maybe they are tired to watch a bit singles, they just want to see what else they have.

It's just more for like an extra, something extra, like when you go to the show, before the main artist, you have a warm-up artist, you know? So that's why there I don't really see the difference if they change scores or something like that or even the rules.

But I think for singles, first of all, in my opinion it's not going to work because you just going to change the sport a bit. You can change the score, you're going to change a bit the sport because it's going to be different intensity, different workout that you need to do outside the court or on practices to adapt.

It's not going to sell more. It's not going to bring more people or more audience because it's more about the players, who spectators like to watch.

If they want, let's say, Alcaraz and Sinner, they are selling everything. The spectators, they want to buy tickets to watch them. They will buy tickets and watch them, doesn't matter if it's exhibition, if it's one-set exhibition, if it's until four games or if it's best-of-five sets. Even more maybe because like this they play longer. Of course, you want to see your favorite players not for 40 minutes, you want to see them for at least maybe two hours, two hours and a half.

If it's player, someone that is not really selling or not really interesting to the crowd, you can change the rules how you want, the people will not go to see. Anyway, doesn't matter if it's four games or something. So that's, yeah...

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well me, I haven't watched the documentary of Novak, as well. Maybe I will.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Maybe I'm not.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Maybe I won't (smiling).

I don't know. I haven't watched Rafa's documentary either yet. It's on my watch list.

ANDREY RUBLEV: You can watch like you have to see my documentary.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Maybe we will. Now I'm more for some reason more into reading books.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Perfect. I like it.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, you see.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Now you are my crush (smiling).

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Okay, I take it (smiling).

But yeah, about the format, I mean, now I play less doubles. I think I played mixed doubles this is my third time, second time in a slam. First time I played in Olympics.

Honestly, when I play against men as well, for me it takes... I mean, I get more tired. Obviously for me it's more physical to be able to return the serve, to be able to be consistent in the rally on the baseline.

For me, whatever they did with the format is good because the time that you spend on the court is not so long. Yeah, I mean, I don't get as tired I guess as if, for example, we would play two sets up to six, like a normal match.

So for me this format suits me the best. Also obviously to get some matches on bigger stadiums before the tournament starts and not, as I said, get tired so much is great.

Q. Your first match against Errani and Vavassori, it was a big day for singles players against the doubles specialists. Errani's serve was something a lot of men have struggled to return. Daniil had a hard time. How were you able to do that, Andrey?

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, I mean, it's more a bit of - how you say - creation of illusion. C'mon, let's be honest. Errani obviously is amazing player, one of the best doubles players, but she serves 50 kilometers. I don't want to lie, I don't know how much, but let's say slow. Obviously she knows that. Andrea knows that. Everybody sees that. It's to give you one penalty. Basically every time they give you one penalty.

For me, Andrea was doing always amazing job because he was creating this kind of stress atmosphere being all over the net, in the middle. If you put yourself in his position, you understand that there is not much he can do because, like I say, it's like a penalty. It's like you give an easy ball, and you give a chance to the guy just destroy you, and you just play kind of the confident game that is like part of the game, you know? That's why people, maybe they start to struggle.

But if you take a bit of distance, slow down, you understand that it's just a present basically. Let's say last year when we faced them, I think we didn't break not once Errani. We broke once actually Andrea. I think today we had the first game opportunity to break her. We had break point. We were a bit unlucky. Then we broke all the serves that she did and we won a lot of points on her serve.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, well, as I remember how Daniil was struggling with the return at Olympics. I tried to serve, because we warmed up together, a little bit like Errani. He actually had somewhat a hard time to return it. I was like, Great.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Great.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: That means very good.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Promising.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Exactly.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Can't return in the warm-up (smiling).

MIRRA ANDREEVA: After he did great. I don't think he missed one return on her serve.

ANDREY RUBLEV: One, I remember.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Okay, one.

But still the statistic is great. For me, when you play against doubles players, the match is completely different because you know that, I don't know.

ANDREY RUBLEV: A lot of pressure.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Exactly. Like Andrea is doing, I feel like he's just covering the whole net. He's just there. And you just don't know what to do. When you play against singles players, of course it's a little bit different.

Yeah, I mean, they are an amazing team. To beat them I think is a great result. I think I didn't beat Sara in doubles in a very, very long time. It's also obviously very nice to finally get the win.

Yeah, they're an amazing team. I was so happy we were able to get the win today. When I saw our draw, I said, At least we're going to have fun, it's going to be great.

After when I saw how well we were playing with each other, I felt like we really had a shot to win the match, and after we did.