Rublev Frustrated After Madrid Exit: "I Don’t Really Know What to Say"

Andrey Rublev, the defending champion in Madrid, was knocked out in the third round by Alexander Bublik. By losing nearly all the points from last year’s victory, the Russian will drop out of the Top 15 after the tournament—a first in five years.

During the press conference, he tried to explain his poor form, having recorded just 3 wins against 6 losses since his title in Doha back in February:

"I don’t really know what to say. I’m trying to stay optimistic, to focus on the things I need to improve. In Doha, the same thing happened. I wasn’t having a good start to the season, but I refocused and won the title.

The situation today is similar. I’m not getting good results, but I’m trying to focus on the process, and I hope that at some point it will click.

This slump isn’t about results or rankings. It’s more about discipline, training, and my attitude. Those are the things I need to focus on.

Once everything falls into place, I’ll play good tennis. There will be a week where everything works. Now, I’ll talk with my team to get organized. We’ll start preparing for Rome."