By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday April 16, 2023

Hours after his breakthrough triumph, Andrey Rublev was nonetheless relishing his maiden Masters 1000 title at Monte-Carlo.

“Great feeling," he said. "Like I was saying after struggling so much, so many times, losing in the finals, semifinals, losing even earlier, yeah, struggled so much to win first 1000 Masters and finally I did it. I did it in Monaco with the really historic tournament.

"It's a pleasure to be part of it. To win match like this, losing 4-1, Love-30, breakpoint for 5-1, and to be able to come back and to win a match is like a fairy tale today, yeah."

At 25, the Russian had to wait a while before this dream came to fruition, but he never doubted that he could get there.

“I was never thinking that way,” he mentioned, when requested if he ever fearful that his massive breakthrough title was by no means going to occur. “I used to be pondering that if I do the issues proper exterior the courtroom, practicing-wise, I'll have probabilities to win the large titles.

“The factor is I did not know when it is gonna occur – this yr, final yr, two years in the past – as a result of I performed two [Masters 1000] finals earlier than, I performed a few instances within the semifinal, and I could not make it.

"In the end, it happened here.”

Asked if his next dream is to win a Grand Slam title, Rublev said he wants to remain focused on doing all the right things and improving his game step by step.

“I feel that I can improve a lot. I feel that on practices I'm doing this,” he said. “The goal is still the same: to work hard in this right direction that I'm doing now and to try to improve as much as I can while I have this time.”

Someone put the Titanic soundtrack to this as a result of we're not allowed to 🙂#RolexMonteCarloMasters @AndreyRublev97 pic.twitter.com/xYY2CgPDtk

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 16, 2023

Same Coach, New and Upgraded Team

Rublev continues to be working with longtime coach Fernando Vicente of Spain, however he has added a number of key members of his group and it's paying off.

He added Alberto Martin, former World No.34 (former coach to Jil Teichmann), as assistant coach and advisor. Martin studied psychology at University of Barcelona and in addition has a level within the subject, so he is ready to assist the Russian in a number of methods.

“He can explain some things in a more easier way in some stress moments, and it's helping also a lot,” Rublev mentioned, including that his group has been “completely upgraded.”

“I have a new fitness coach, new physio, new agent, so completely upgrade,” he mentioned. “Only Fernando is still the main one who was [with me] since the beginning.”

For a participant that considers his psychological volatility his largest work in progress, the improve is sensible, and seems to be paying dividends.

Maybe this primary Masters title will mark the start of a transfer within the path of one thing even greater for Rublev.

Content Source: www.tennisnow.com