Rublev's coach explains why he has yet to reach a Grand Slam semi-final
Fernando Vicente, Andrey Rublev's coach, spoke at length about his player, whom he has followed for many years.
He explained why the Russian has never yet reached a Grand Slam semi-final: "First you have to reach the quarter-finals.
Before, when he reached them, the level of his game and physique was objectively not sufficient to fight for the semi-finals.
Of all the quarter-finals he's played, only two have been missed opportunities: against Cilic at Roland Garros and Tiafoe at the US Open.
In the other matches, the level of the opponents was higher: Nadal, Djokovic or Medvedev. I ask Andrey to enjoy tennis more during the season, to be in good mental health, to believe that he really can win a Grand Slam.
That's the path we can take. If it works, great. If it doesn't, Andrey must always remember to enjoy life, not to suffer at every tournament, and not to worry as much as if it were a matter of life and death.
Of course, we do all this work to win, but the mental strength is to accept defeat, not to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves, and to try to fight with good humor, and not to suffer mentally.
If we succeed, everything will be much better."