'Imagine how much pressure Roger Federer has', says young star

Andrey Rublev one of the most fit tennis players of 2020, he has already won two titles and played a good Australian Open. The young Russian is certainly among the most interesting prospects on the men's tour.

But the COVID-19 pandemic suspended play in March, putting a halt to the 22-year-old’s momentum. You would expect Rublev to be disappointed, but that’s not the case. “I’m one of the people who can’t complain at all because I was living a normal life. It was not easy for millions of people because they were losing jobs,” Rublev said ahead of the Western & Southern Open. “Maybe they didn’t have enough money to live a [normal] life. For sure I’m not the one who can complain.” Rublev considers himself lucky. During quarantine, when allowed, he was still able to keep busy by playing tennis and working on his game. In a recent interview, Andrey Rublev talked about his victory over Roger Federer at the 2019 Cincinnati Open. The Russian believes that Federer has to deal with immense pressure on a weekly basis due to his legendary stature.

Rublev on Roger Federer

“Of course it was an amazing match and was really emotional match, special match. I mean as I said already many times that match I don't know. I was more impressed even with Roger Federer,” Andrey Rublev said. “Because imagine how tough for him that every week he need to prove that he is the best because I think we played 3rd or 4th Round. Even 4th round and how much attention it was because he lost. Even if I lose 4th round I don't have this attention in press. No one really care,” he continued. “And him he need to play minimum final every week to don't have this attention that - ‘Oh Roger lost’. And every week to prove it. So imagine how much pressure he has and every week he proves that he is the best in the history,” Rublev said. The Russian believes that this quality of being able to take defeat in such a serene manner is what makes Roger Federer a ‘legend’. “This is amazing and during the match I don’t know I was feeling that how much I respect Roger," Rublev said. "How big a legend he is. Even when he lost you feel something unreal that he goes there completely accepting today was not my day. That's why he's a legend. I was playing with fear. You cannot imagine when I was a set up and break up you cannot imagine what was in my head," said Rublev. "I was thinking and I was shaking. I was not even able to drink water."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/32hLxFO